The Red Flag of Anarchy

The Red Flag of Anarchy: A History of Socialism and Anarchism in Sheffield 1874-1900 by Andrew Lee

It was an incredible time in Sheffield. Notable socialists and anarchists like Edward Carpenter, John Sketchley, Sir Raymond Unwin, Dr John Creaghe and David Nicoll, moved to Sheffield and augmented the already blossoming socialist movement.

Four different colonies were attempted during the period, the Totley Colony, Moorhay, St. George’s Farm and the Norton Community Colony and all sought new ways of living and working. They also set up two of the most interesting groups in the country, the Sheffield Socialist Society and the Sheffield Anarchist Group.

These and other Sheffield groups had cafés, clubs and bookshops, and spent their time speaking to the masses at outdoor meetings.

This book looks at the development of socialism in Sheffield, before the formation of the Labour Party and before the horrors of the twentieth century.

Alongside the book, we have produced a poster - Radical Sheffield - which pinpoints the locations on a map from the Victorian era, where these revolutionaries, and many more, were active at the time.