Forced Migration of Anarchists

In contemporary, popular culture, anarchism is commonly associated with anarchy or chaos and is often symbolized by a black flag or a “circle A.” Anarchists themselves are perceived as members of a counter-culture rebeling against a higher authority. However, these perceptions of anarchists do not provide a defined representation of their movement. Outside of scholarly work, anarchists and their role in history rarely receive much attention. There is relatively little focus on the past activities of anarchists, and events that took place in the western United States are often overshadowed by the more well-known events that occurred in the eastern region of the country. Nevertheless, the U.S. government has consistently responded to anarchism with laws meant to eradicate the philosophy, as well as its proponents.

As with other political theories, the anarchist doctrine consists of variations of its primary tenets and at times contrasting arguments. However, the philosophy distinguishes itself from other radical beliefs in that anarchism advocates the complete elimination of the state. Anarchists promote the abolition of organized authority of any kind based on their belief that all government is fundamentally unjust and evil. According to Emma Goldman (1869–1940), a prominent American anarchist, the oppressive restraint of any external authority causes humans to commit crime and perpetuate war. Anarchists assert that when mankind is free from the coercion of government, society will act rationally toward its own best interest, thereby eliminating the need for manmade laws. According to anarchists, in the absence of authoritarian restraints, people would assemble in voluntary associations in which they would seek to contribute to the common good, taking only what they need and rightfully deserve.

Most of what history records as significant in the anarchist movement has transpired in the eastern United States. During the 19th century, anarchists publicly spoke against the government, advocated reforms, and participated in labor strikes in New York, Pennsylvania, and throughout the East Coast. The Haymarket Square Riot, which occurred on May 4, 1886, in Chicago, started as a protest demonstration held by a group mainly composed of German-born anarchists. It quickly turned into a riot when the police attempted to disperse the armed protesters. A bomb was thrown during the course of the riot, which killed several people and injured more than 60 in the crowd. Government officials reacted swiftly, and without evidence that linked the prosecuted to the bomb, four anarchists were hanged, one committed suicide, and three others were pardoned seven years later by the governor of Illinois for insufficient evidence. Nevertheless, in the minds of the public, the Haymarket Square incident served to link foreigners with anarchism and anarchism with violence and terror.

Through the years, popular culture has misrepresented the authentic principles of the anarchist doctrine by simply equating it with an absolute lack of control. Likewise, popular culture has created a mythological perception of the American West. The [Page 230]early history of the western territories in the United States is often portrayed as “wild,” lawless, or lacking any true governmental authority. Yet the legend of the individual, or even the town banding together in communal brotherhood for the sake of survival, is analogous to the individualism and communal spirit promoted by anarchism.

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