To provide a wide explanation of the situation with anarchism in the United States, it is necessary to give a definition of what anarchism is, because this will ease the understanding of the problem. Anarchism is a political philosophy that advocates self-governed society based on voluntary institutions. The threat of anarchy in the United States appeared in the middle of 19th century and started to grow, especially when it joined the American labour movement or other movements that appear in American history.
1. Early American anarchism
In order to understand what American individualist anarchism means, it necessary take into account the situation and ideas that were present in that days, namely the process of transformation of pre-capitalist America to capitalist one. In that period of time America had one important feature- about 80% of non-slave men were self-employed.
2. 19th century American individualist anarchism
An important factor of American individualist anarchism was Free love. These people believed that sexual freedom is something that has direct expression of self-ownership. For example, this movement stressed the fight for women right as this part of the society was highly discriminated.
3. Early anarcho-communism
By the 1880s such this as anarcho-communism was already present in US. Activists of this movement influenced on economics a lot and caused labour movement and also took part in revolutionary activism of behalf.
4. The “Red scare” propaganda by the deed the World Wars period
In this period, Italian anti-organizationalist individualist anarchism could find a way to the United States thanks to help of Italian born individualists such as Giuseppe Ciancabilla and others, who were for violent propaganda by the deed there. By the late 1880s, people, who where inside of the movement and outside of it, started to use a slogan “propaganda of the deed” to indicate individual regicides, bombing and tyranny.
5. The period after World War II
In this period, anarcho-pacifism was the strongest movement in the United States. It is a tendency with the another anarchy movements, which was against violence in the struggle for any social changes.
6. The late 20th century and contemporary times
Anarchists became more visible in the 1980s, as a result of protest, publishing and conventions. Moreover, The First International Symposium of on Anarchism took place in Portland, Oregon, in 1980.
To provide a wide explanation of the situation with anarchism in the United States, it is necessary to give a definition of what anarchism is, because this will ease the understanding of the problem. Anarchism is a political philosophy that advocates self-governed society based on voluntary institutions.