Local anarchist history

We recommend everyone read Clara Solomon's memoir of anarchist activities, which is a good introduction to the history of anarchist groups in NYC, in addition to Sidney Solomon's memoir in Paul Avrich's Anarchist Voices: Oral Histories, which has a huge amount on NYC @ history.

To see a list of anarchist publications, newspapers, and journals published in NYC, go HERE

1840 - 1850

The Present ... Seven issues of the newspaper appeared advocating abolitionism and utopianism (Fourier style). Edited by William Henry Channing.

1850 - 1860

Le Libertaire ... published between 1858 nd 1861 by Dejacque

1860 - 1870

Justin Schwab's Saloon ... a Lower East Side hang out for revolutionaries and anarchists.

1870 - 1880

Freiheit ... Joahan Most started this newspaper in 1879

1880 - 1890

Autonomie ... a German language anarchist group lead by Joseph Peukert, 1890s, main "rival" of Most's group

Gruppo Socialista Anarchico Rivoluzionario Carlo Cafiero ... Italian immigrant anarchist group, formed 1885

Pioneers of Liberty ... Jewish anarchist organization on the Lower East Side, founded 1886

The Leader ... published by the Leader Co-operative Publishing Association, an anarchist newspaper dedicated to the liberation of Haymarket Square Riot defendants, of May 4, 1886

1890 - 1900

Workmen's Circle / Arbeter Ring ... mutual aid society founded 1892 (total nationwide membership reached over 25,000 by 1917)

Bresci Group ... East Harlem based Italian anarchist group, also ran an anarchist "clubhouse"

1900 - 1910

Benj R Tucker's Unique Book Shop ... legendary anarchist Benjamin Tucker ran a bookstore at 502 Sixth Ave, opened in 1907 (it burnt to the ground a year later, along with a warehouse full of anarchist historical archives)

Max Maisel Bookstore ... Radical / anarchist book store and meet up joint on the lower east side of Manhattan. Maisel also published anarchist texts.

NYC Anarchist Federation ...

Jewish Anarchist Federation of America / NY ... lasted through the 1930s

Free Speech League ... co-founded by Goldman, 1903. Fought the deportation of John Turner.

Free Worker's Center ... 219 2nd Ave, anarchist run organizing center

Free Society ... newssheet and group around Abe Umrath and Mary Isaak. Bronx based until 1904

League for Mutual Aid ... founded by Harry Kelly, EG Flynn, Roger Baldwin, lasted through 1920s

Radical Library ...

1910s

Anarchist Red Cross ... founded 1911, primarily for support for jailed anarchists in Russia by the Czar (later by the Bolsheviks), changed name to Anarchist BLACK Cross

Union of Russian Workers ... anarcho-syndicalist union located on 133 east 15th St, organ was Khleb i Volia

No Conscription League ... founded by Emma Goldman and Alex Berkman in NYC, 1916

Luisa Capetillo ... Capetillo was a Puerto Rican anarchist-syndicalist who spent a brief period in New York organizing Puerto Rican tobacco laborers.

Ferrer Association and the Modern School in NYC ... one school, the Ferrer Colony, located in Stelton, New Jersey (1915 -1951)

Frayhayt ... Harlem Yiddish anarchist group

Broyt un Frayhayt ... Brownsville, Brooklyn Yiddish (?) anarchist group

Housewreckers Union ... major anarchist influence

Federation of Anarchist Communist Groups ... date ?, organ was Volna

International Ladies Garments Workers Union ... had a significant participation of anarchists, formed caucus, the "anarchist group" Active were Fannie Breslav and Clara Larsen

The Masses ... after 1912 the Masses became a collectively run publication, occasionally featuring anarchist polemic and articles. Mabel Dodge, John Reed, and others wrote for it.

Mabel Dodge Salon ... #23 5th Ave. Opened 1913, Mabel Dodge's salon became a epicenter for radical thought across the spectrum.

L'Arvenire ... Carlo Treca's publication, began 1913

Unemployed Movement ... an anarchist led movement of the unemployed, during early teens, led by Frank Tannenbaum

Anarchist Workers Group ... an anarchist "caucus" of the Cloak and Dressmakers Union of New York

American Civil Liberties Union ... founded by Roger Baldwin

1920s

Clara Solomon ... recently passed away. Excellent memoirs describe the various anarchist activities in NYC in the 30s, especially.

Cultura Proletaria ... New York based Spanish anarchist group, 1930s (also published a paper, Cultura Proletaria), 1920s to 1950s

Road To Freedom Group ... also called the "International Group" for its members being from many nations.

Militant Anarchist Youth ... "M.A.Y"., formed 1929

Rising Youth Group ... formed 1927, Sara and Elizabeth Goodman active

Union of United Anarchists ... mostly Russian émigrés, founded 1922, by Victor Bondarenko

International Anarchist Group of New York ...

1930s

Freedom Group ... Began late 1920s, organ was Road To Freedom

Vanguard Group ... organ was called Vanguard, named after the Vanguard Group formed 1932. Primarily anarchist-communists.

Challenge ... break off from Vanguard Group, 1938. Organ called Challenge.

Libertarian Center ... Located at 2nd Ave and 14th Street, ...

United Libertarian Organization ... a coalition of anarchist groups for support of the Spanish revolution, included Cultura Proletaria, the IWW, Delo Truda, Il Martello, more

1940s

Why Group ... split from Vanguard Group

Liberation Press ... A cooperative founded in part by Dave Dellinger. Published Liberation

1950s

Libertarian League ... roughly 1955 to 1965, published Views And Comments

1960s

NY Radical Women ... an anarchist womyns collective

Anarchos ... Murray Bookchin's organ

East Side Anarchists ...

Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers ... notorious quasi-anarchist group from the lower east side

Libertarian Book Club ... formed late 60s (?)

Transendental Students ... NYU student anarchist group.

Liberation News Service ...

Bowery Poets Cooperative ...

The Torch Bookstore ... anarchist bookstore opened 1965

Black Mask ... precursor of Up Against The Wall... group, was notorious for postering on the Lower East Side

1970s

Pacific Street Films Project ... legendary film company and collective that made such unforgettable documentaries like THE IMPRISONMENT OF MARTIN SOSTRE, FREE VOICE OF LABOR- THE JEWISH ANARCHISTS, and ANARCHISM IN AMERICA. Still going strong!

Kuwasi Balagoon ...

Anarchist Conference ... an anarchist conference held at Hunter College, Oct, 1972

Libertarian Workers Group ... member collective of the Anarchist Communist Federation of North America

1980s

Neither East Nor West ... here, and here

Workers Solidarity Alliance ... still active

Continental Front of Grassroots Organizations ... organized around 1987, lasted a few years. Heavy in NYC.

NY Trust Group ... here

1990s

Black Eye Zine ... a defunct lower east side zine

Free Society ... anarchist journal of radical theory

Love and Rage Anarchist Federation ... legendary 90s continental anarchist federation

Lower East Side Collective

Sabotage Books ... was an anarchist infoshop on St Marks Street, during the 80s.

Blackout Books ... here and, surprise, their old site here

Steal This Radio ...

Atlantic Anarchist Circle ... a now defunct East Coast network of anarchists and collectives

Lower East side squatter movement here and here and here and Anarchism and local Squatting

Smash Gulianianism ...

Nightcrawlers Anarchist Black Cross ... ABC federation member collective, was located in the Bronx (?)

2000s

NYC Tribes Network ... here

Direct Action Network ... anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian network that ushered in the North American version of the anti-globalization movement in a big way (read media) during the Battle in Seattle.

Anti-Capitalist Convergence ... short lived anarchist formation around the World Economic Forum meetings held in NYC January, 2001.

Intergalactic Anarchist Conference ... anarchist conference that took place concurrent with the WEF meetings.

FUTURE?

And of course, all those groups active TODAY!