A true Anarchist: The Life of Emma Goldman.
To explain how Anarchism influenced everyday life for Jews in Amerika and especially the citizens of New York's Lower East Side, the ideas and visions of Anarchism's leaders must be thoroughly analyzed. To this end I would like to outline the lives of two of Anarchism's most important spokespeople who greatly influenced the Anarchist movement in America - Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman.
The reason why I chose these two people - especially Emma Goldman - is to be found in the extraordinary impression their lives had on me. The dedication with which they tried to spread their point of view, the willpower and strength of character, they called upon to convince others of their beliefs as well as the utter committment to their cause and the way they devoted their lives to the realization of their dream of a better society without being discouraged by harrassment or cruel twists of fate really impressed me.
Therefore I believe that especially Emma Goldman - with her qualities as a spokeswoman, the experiences she made in her remarkable life and her overwhelming conviction - influenced many Jews in the Lower East Side.
If she wasn't able to convince them outright, she at least gave them a good cause to start thinking about their situation and the government which she was positive was the reason for society's many failings.
The social and material environment into which Emma was born and the unusual course her life took had a profound impact on the development of her personality and greatly influenced her views of society and government.
Goldman's early years in Europe.
Emma Goldman was born on June 27th 1869 in Kovno (today Kaunas, Lithuania).
Although she was the first child of Abraham and Taube Bienowitch Goldman, that didn't make her the oldest one, since Taube brought two older daughters - Lena and Helena - from her first marriage into the family.