Alexander Berkman

Alexander Berkman, born on November twenty-first, eighteen seventy, was a prominent Russian-American anarchist, typographer, writer, and journalist. Hailing from a wealthy Jewish family in Vilna, now known as Vilnius, Lithuania, he emigrated to the United States in eighteen eighty-eight. Settling in New York City, Berkman quickly became an influential figure in the anarchist movement, known for his passionate political activism and profound writings.

His life took a dramatic turn in eighteen ninety-two when he attempted to assassinate businessman Henry Clay Frick during the Homestead strike, an act he viewed as propaganda of the deed. This failed assassination attempt led to a fourteen-year prison sentence, during which he penned his first book, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist, reflecting on his experiences behind bars.

After his release, Berkman became the editor of Emma Goldman's anarchist journal, Mother Earth, and later founded his own publication, The Blast. In nineteen seventeen, both he and Goldman were sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy against the draft. Following their release, they were deported to Russia, where they initially supported the Bolshevik revolution. However, their enthusiasm waned as they opposed the Soviets' use of terror and repression of fellow revolutionaries, leading them to leave the Soviet Union in late nineteen twenty-one.

While residing in France, Berkman continued to advocate for anarchist principles, producing significant works such as Now and After: The ABC of Communist Anarchism. Despite his contributions to the movement, Berkman's health deteriorated, and he tragically took his own life in nineteen thirty-six, leaving behind a legacy of activism and thought.