Dangerous Liaisons? Borderless Networks of Secrecy and Trust—Fin de Siècle Anarchism

Anarchism is a misunderstood and under-researched social and political movement, especially in the United States. Its adherents often are labeled terrorists.  Now, as then, the words anarchy and anarchism are commonly used as synonyms for chaos and violence. Global discourse on violent social movements today would benefit from insights gleaned from case studies in anarchist history.  With the advantage of working in an archive that possesses many thousands of documents tracing an international circle of anarchists from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, supplemented by other historical material, it is now possible to explore the intricasies of anarchist theory and practice and to ground militant anarchism in its transnational historical context. The process of reviewing the anarchist canon and de-coding hidden references within documents has revealed disquieting information about planned actions, which were once too dangerous for those involved to speak or write about openly. 

I will reflect on  how displacement and immigration and the  militancy of one’s country of origin predisposed some to political violence. The deportation of immigrant radicals in 1919 and 1920, raises the question of whether a nation can ever eliminate the threat of political violence by tracking, isolating, and removing those immigrants whose ideas are considered threatening—a concern that remains relevant today. 

I will discuss the dynamics within those groups that share a belief in the efficacy of political violence,and in which each perpetrator of a violent act enters a culture of hiding and secrecy requiring trust, loyalty, and discipline—and a shared situational morality. The martyr’s belief that their action will not only jump-start positive transformational change, but will guarantee them an ‘afterlife’ of remembrance, is evident among anarchists, whose historical record is currently incomplete. Echoes of the influence of the Christian or Islamic cultures can be heard in their glorification of martyrs.  

[Over the years, the EGP has gathered a unique archive of almost 40,000 documents, including writings by and about Goldman, as well as writings relating to the times and political movements from 1869-1940 in the U.S., Europe, Russia, Asia, and Latin America.  We are one of the few archives that offer in-depth primary sources from which to study the evolution of anarchism in the United States, as it was perceived by surveillance agents and by the anarchists themselves.  Our massive holdings include not only Goldman’s correspondence, lecture notes and unpublished manuscripts, but also trial transcripts and police surveillance documents, as well as newspaper clippings, full runs of rare anarchist, Socialist, and IWW newspapers and magazines in several languages, plus hundreds of biographical sketches of activists in and around Goldman’s life and times.]  

Emma Goldman chose speech as her weapon and was the trusted intermediary who articulated the broader vision--and eloquently expressed the motivation behind acts of defiance.  This presentation is my attempt to explain the mechanics of a political community, the informal friendships, the strict codes against betrayal, and the vision that propelled anarchist collaboration across the globe. ( in any format the committee considers best suited for a lively discussion )..

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