American Anarchists: The Original Domestic Extremists

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 August 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the early twentieth century, anarchists like Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman championed a radical vision of a world without states, laws, or private property. Militant and sometimes violent, anarchists were heroes to many working-class immigrants. But to many others, anarchism was a terrifyingly foreign ideology. Determined to crush it, government officials launched a decades-long “war on anarchy,” a brutal program of spying, censorship, and deportation that set the foundations of the modern surveillance state. The lawyers who came to the anarchists’ defense advanced groundbreaking arguments for free speech and due process, inspiring the emergence of the civil liberties movement.

Today’s guest is Michael Willrich, author of “American Anarchy: The Epic Struggle between Immigrant Radicals and the US Government at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century.” We look at this tumultuous era and parallels with contemporary society.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Scott here with another episode, The History Unplug Podcast. In the early 20th century, anarchists like Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman, championed a radical vision of a world without states, laws, or private property.
0:16.0	They were militant and sometimes violent, assassinating businessmen and politicians, up to and including presidents like William McKinley.
0:22.6	These anarchists were heroes to many working-class immigrants, but to many others, anarchism was a terrifying foreign ideology.
0:29.1	Government officials were determined to crush it, launching a decades-long war on anarchy,
0:33.3	a program of spying, censorship, and deportation, the lawyers who came to the anarchist defense,
0:38.1	put forward arguments for free speech and due process, which led to the emergence of the Civil
0:41.9	Liberties Movement. Today's rebroadcast episode, I'm speaking to Michael Wilrich, author of
0:45.9	American Anarchy, the epic struggle between immigrant radicals and the U.S. government at the
0:50.4	dawn of the 20th century. We look at this tumultuous era in parallels with contemporary society,
0:54.9	particularly in arguments about immigration, deportation, and what effective assimilation looks like.
0:59.6	Hope we enjoy this discussion.
1:03.5	And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick break for a word from our sponsors.
1:08.4	It's hard to believe the new school year is kicked off. Parents, if you're
1:11.2	looking for the best fit for your child this year, there's still time. With K-12-powered schools,
1:15.6	you can help your child succeed now and in the future. With online education options tailored to
1:20.1	their unique needs, K-12-powered schools offer accredited tuition-free public school education for
1:25.7	students in kindergarten through 12th grade. K-12 has been a
1:28.5	leader in online education for over 25 years, helping students gain the skills they need to thrive
1:33.2	in the future. With K-12, school can be anywhere there's internet access, helping your students
1:37.7	stay consistent, no matter whatever the circumstances are. K-12 has state-certified teachers,
1:42.5	specially trained in teaching online. They receive
1:44.5	ongoing professional development to stay current on the most effective instructional methods,
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 20 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from History Unplugged, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of History Unplugged and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.