Alexander Berkman
Alexander Berkman was a prominent anarchist and political activist who emigrated from Russia to the United States in his late teens. After arriving in New York City in the late 1800s, he quickly became involved in social and political causes alongside fellow immigrant Emma Goldman, advocating for workers' rights and social justice. Berkman's activism took a dramatic turn in 1892 when he attempted to assassinate industrialist Henry Frick during the Homestead Steel Strike, an act motivated by outrage over violence against striking workers. As a result, he was imprisoned for fourteen years. Upon his release, Berkman continued to champion anarchist ideas through writing, co-founding the journal *Mother Earth* and publishing *Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist*. His activism led to further legal troubles, including a conviction under the Espionage Act in 1917. After his deportation to Russia, he faced disillusionment with the Bolshevik regime and eventually settled in France, where he wrote critiques of communist ideology. Berkman's life ended tragically in the mid-1930s when he took his own life. His legacy remains complex, reflecting the tumultuous interplay of politics, personal conviction, and activism in a rapidly changing world.
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Alexander Berkman
Anarchist
- Born: November 21, 1870
- Birthplace: Kovno, Russia
- Died: June 26, 1936
Biography
Alexander Berkman, the son of a wealthy Jewish businessman, immigrated to America from Russia at the age of eighteen, after the death of his parents. Arriving in New York City in the late 1800’s, Alexander Berkman befriended another Russian immigrant, Emma Goldman. Together, they became politically active: They promoted worker’s rights and campaigned to free men jailed during union disputes. Within a few years, Berkman and Goldman started a business in Worchester, Massachusetts, that provided lunches to the people working in the local factories.
In 1892, the Homestead Steelworks near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which was owned by Henry Frick and Andrew Carnegie, became embroiled in a dispute with the Amalgamated Steelworkers Union. Infuriated when a skirmish between union members and strikebreakers left ten men dead and the city of Homestead under marshal law, Alexander Berkman broke into Henry Frick’s office, shooting and stabbing Frick. Henry Frick survived the attack, and Alexander Berkman was sentenced to fourteen years in a Pennsylvania penitentiary.
Upon his release in 1906, Berkman again teamed up with Emma Goldman. Together they began publishing a journal called Mother Earth, which contained radical essays. Berkman published his first book, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist, in 1912. In 1916, Berkman moved to San Francisco and started Blast, an anarchist journal. In 1917, he was arrested for violating the Espionage Act, which made it illegal to publicize writings that criticized the war effort. He was convicted and spent two years in prison. After he was released, both Berkman and his Goldman were deported to their native Russia.
However, Berkman was soon exiled from Russia by the Bolsheviks. Finally settling in France, he wrote several tomes criticizing communist Russia, most notably What Is Communist Anarchism? in 1929. He committed suicide in the mid-1930’s.