Thread: Emma Goldman 1869-1940

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Emma Goldman was a Jewish-Russian girl (from present day Lithuania) who immigrated to the Unites States in 1885 from Czarist Russia. I have a research paper due for an American History class very soon and I discoverd this unusal, impressionable, and controversial girl. I have found one good History Documentary about her and I am reading her Autobiography "Living Me Life." I like to do my research papers on obscure individuals, that way I stand out in class and get better grades. We had to pick any topic or historically significant person from the Reconstruction of the South up to present day (about 1865-Present). Just recently we have covered old and new immigration, labour unions, the Hay Market Riot/Massacre, the Homestead Strike President McKinley assasination, the Immigration Act of 1903 (also known as the Anarchist Exclusion Act), World War I, all of which Emma was involved with or connected to in some way.

Anyway, little miss Emma, a naive girl when she first came to the Unites States was already a revolutionist at heart. Inspired by Nickolai Chernyshevsky's novel "What Is To Be Done." She was already a woman of dreams and action upon her arrival. (Wikipedia has a good essay about her.) I have found a lot of things about her activities in the United Sates, like how she and her lover Alexander "Sasha" Berkman planed the assasination of the manager of the Carniege Steal Plant, Henry Flick, in the hopes of inciting an Anarchist Revolution. This Alexander tried to carry out, but he did not succeed in killing the guy. Instead he wounded him and was arrested and sentenced to 22 years in prison for attempted murder. Emma became a skilled orator for the Anarchist cause and was aressted for inciting riots, and even being involved in the McKinley assasination (though it was obvious that all she did was inadvertantly inspire a mentally derange boy into commiting that act). I have found that this Emma Goldman, called a "Most Exccedingly Dangerous Woman," by President Roosevelt and "The High Priestess of Anarchist," by the media, was women way before her time. She also spoke out about free love and birth control, stuff that was most shocking and sinister during those times. I think maybe if she was born in the 60s or 70s, she would have been more admired then feared. (In fact I think she was admired in the 60s and 70s long after her death.)

I saw very little reference about her Russian causes (if she even had any). I know she traveled extensively and even went back to Russia a few times. She even met with Lenin (who she did not admire in the least bit- seeing as she was a complete Anarchist and not a Socialist). She was not a fan of the Russian Revolution. Maybe at first but then she became extremely disappointed and angered by it. I was wondering if any one Russian could tell me more about her activities in Russia , any causes, or in incidents she was involved in? American History is very vague or brief about that aspect of her adult life.

Emma Goldman "The High Priestess of Anarchy" - YouTube

The bottom link is the Documentary I saved to my youtube account. I am history teacher (and continuing History Major) so I have a few playlist for Historical Doumentaries...

I've never heard of her until today so can offer no help but here's her book "My Disillusionment in Russia."
for free:

My Disillusionment in Russia

and "MY FURTHER DISILLUSIONMENT IN RUSSIA" for free:

Further: Table of Contents

Scott

Yes, I was going to read that book next. Thanks for the free link! Right now I am reading her Autobiography "Living My Life." I am not an Anarchist or anything, but I can sympathize with "some" of her causes. I can also see why and how she came to be the person she was. As a history teachher, Historian, and Anthropologist I am able to be unbiased. It's actually a pretty good book. I recommend it.

Also, that is great, that she seems to draw a blank for most people. It is my intention to do a research paper on someone not too well known. My University American history teacher has been teaching history for more then 50 years (he is 74 years old) and he did not know anything about her either. (He is more of Government professor too- I can tell.) He said he could not wait to read my paper. This was my intention. I know it will get me and even better grade... Being a history teacher myself, there is nothing duller then grading papers of the same people/subjects over and over again.