Emma Goldman - I Want Freedom

Emma Goldman - I Want Freedom

Emma Goldman, born in 1869 was a Lithuanian revolutionary anarchist activist, writer and speaker. She arrived in the United States in 1885 and was soon influenced by the Haymarket Affair, becoming an advocate of 'propaganda by deed'. She campaigned around radical trade unions, birth control and, during the First World War, against conscription, for which she was deported to Russia in 1919. 

She was an enthusiastic supporter of the October Revolution, but as she witnessed the Bolsheviks tighten their grip on power, in particular the events of the Kronstadt Revolt, became an outspoken critic of the new regime, publishing a memoir titled: My Disillusionment in Russia.

She also travelled to Spain during 1936, where she was impressed with the revolution and the establishment of the collectives. She became an official representative of the CNT, giving lectures and interviews enthusiastically supporting the revolution, but was again witness to the malign influence of the Russian Communists as the revolution was suppressed in May 1937.

She died in 1940 following a stroke.

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Anarchist ideas evolved over centuries, with elements traceable to the European Enlightenment, the English Revolution, and the French Revolution.

In the 19th century, anarchism significantly influenced early trade unions and workers' organizations.

Anarchists played a key role in the development of the International Workingmen’s Association (known as the First International). However, they clashed with Marx and his followers over the question of capturing state power and were eventually expelled. The history of the International and its successor organizations became closely tied to the development of Marx’s vision of communism and the concept of the dictatorship of the proletariat.

During this period anarchism became associated with the concept of “propaganda by deed” – taking actions that were intended to inspire others to take actions; and “mutual aid” – a belief that progress is best achieved through working together rather than competition.

Towards the end of the 19th century and into the first half of the 20th century, anarchists developed mass movements across the globe, particularly in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. In these regions, revolutionary trade unionism—or anarcho-syndicalism—took hold, emphasizing direct action to achieve goals rather than parliamentary representation.

Modern anarchism is more fragmented, but most anarchists still share a common opposition to capitalism and the state.