Emma Goldman
Russian-born anarchist revolutionary, activist and writer (1869–1940); founded the journal Mother Earth.
At a glance
Main ideas
What anarchism stands for, Against the state and voting, Means become ends …
See all 5Books to start with
Anarchism and Other Essays, My Disillusionment in Russia, Living My Life
See all 3Connections
Alexander Berkman, Mikhail Bakunin and Anarchism and Other Essays
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Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Goldman was a Russian-born anarchist, political activist and writer who immigrated to the United States in 1885.
- She became a renowned lecturer on anarchism, women's rights and social issues, drawing crowds of thousands.
- She was imprisoned several times, including for distributing information about birth control and for opposing the draft.
- Deported to Russia in December 1919, she turned against the Soviet regime after the Kronstadt rebellion.
- She later lived in England, Canada and France, and supported the anarchist revolution in Spain.
Why it matters
- She is widely considered one of the most important figures in the history of anarchism, and is today heralded as a founder of anarcha-feminism.
Key facts
- Born
- 27 Jun 1869, Kaunas, Lithuania (then in the Russian Empire)1
- Died
- 14 May 1940, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1
- Emigrated
- To the United States in 18851
- Mother Earth
- Founded the anarchist journal in 19061
- Imprisonment
- Sentenced in 1917, with Alexander Berkman, to two years for conspiring to "induce persons not to register" for the draft1
- Deported
- To Russia in December 1919, after the Palmer Raids1
- Books
- Six, including the autobiography Living My Life (two volumes, 1931 and 1935)1
Main ideas
-
What anarchism stands for1
Liberation of the mind from religion, the body from property, and people from government.
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Against the state and voting1
The state is a tool of control; voting gives an illusion of participation, so she urged strikes and direct action.
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Means become ends1
After Russia she wrote that the methods used become part of the final purpose.
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Women's independence1
She demanded women's right to support themselves and love freely, and opposed the suffrage movement's faith in the vote.
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Prisons1
Crime grows out of an unjust economic system, and prisons return people broken.
Books to start with
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Connections
Related
- Alexander BerkmanHer lover and lifelong friend; they were jailed and deported together
- Mikhail BakuninPersonOne of the thinkers who influenced her; her essay on atheism quotes him at length
Links
Sources
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