Historical/Biographical Note
Alexander Berkman (1870-1936) was an anarchist and author, and companion of anarchist Emma Goldman. Born in Russia to wealthy Jewish parents, he migrated to the U.S. in the aftermath of the Haymarket Riot of 1886. He spent fourteen years in prison for his attempted assassination, in 1892, of Henry Clay Frick, edited and published his own newspaper Blast, was convicted along with Goldman in 1917 of violating the Draft Act, served two years in prison, was deported, wrote several books, and in ill health, committed suicide in 1936.
Sources:
For more information, see Biographical Dictionary of the American Left, pp. 24-27.
Return to topScope and Content Note
The papers contain primarily court transcripts and other legal documents, most prepared by Harry Weinberger, chief attorney for Berkman and Emma Goldman, reflecting Berkman's involvement with No Conscription League, his battle against extradition to California in connection with the Mooney-Billings bombing case, his and Emma Goldman's trial for violating the Draft Act by advising resistance, and their unsuccessful attempts to prevent deportation. Includes transcripts of several speeches by Berkman, a speech (1917) by Leonard D. Abbot opposing conscription, and a speech (1919) by Emma Goldman in honor of Kate Richards O'Hare; and undated portions of manuscripts of Berkman's "What is Communist Anarchism" (1929) and "Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist" (1912).
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Arrangement |
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| The folders are arranged alphabetically. | ||
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Separated Material
There is no information about materials that are associated by provenance to the described materials that have been physically separated or removed.
Return to topRestrictions
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2630
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: gail.malmgreen@nyu.edu
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Administrative Information
Provenance
Gift of Pauline Turkel through Professor Issawi of Columbia University, 1975.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); The Alexander Berkman Papers; Tamiment 067; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Container List
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
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