Hvem daterte Dyer Lum?

Dyer Daniel Lum (February 15, 1839 – April 6, 1893) was an American labor activist, economist and political journalist. He was a leading figure in the American anarchist movement of the 1880s and early 1890s, working within the organized labor movement and together with individualist theorists.

Born into an abolitionist family, Lum voluntarily enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War, in which he fought for the abolition of slavery. After the war, he plied his trade as a bookbinder in New England and became involved in the nascent spiritualist movement, although he soon became skeptical of organized religion and converted to Buddhism. At this time, he became involved in the growing political reform movement, joining the Greenback Party and lobbying for the institution of the eight-hour day, as well as monetary and land reforms.

By the early 1880s, he had become disillusioned by third party politics and moved towards revolutionary socialism and individualist anarchism. He joined the International Working People's Association (IWPA) and the Knights of Labor, within which he advocated for workers organization to push for economic reform and political revolution. Lum was deeply affected by the Haymarket affair, as he was close friends with many of the defendants, including Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer and Louis Lingg, the latter of whom he helped commit suicide in order to avoid execution. Lum's involvement in the affair became a source of criticism from Chicago anarchists, who accused him of displaying a cavalier attitude towards revolutionary martyrdom, as well as the individualist Boston anarchists, who were alienated by his advocacy of revolutionary violence. Lum attempted to use his position to bridge the divide between the two factions, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

After Haymarket, he moved away from advocating violent revolution and became more closely involved in trade union organizing, which he thought provided a means through which to achieve a free association of producers and anarchy. He became an influential figure within the American Federation of Labor (AFL), encouraging its anti-political stance and practice of voluntary association. At this time, he developed a political programme that called for the implementation of mutualist economics through workers' organization and revolutionary tactics. But by the early 1890s, he was overcome by depression and suicidal ideations. He committed suicide in 1893, months before the pardoning of the Haymarket defendants.

Voltairine de Cleyre (født 17. november 1866 i Leslie, Michigan, død 20. juni 1912) var en engasjert amerikansk anarkist og feminist, som både var en populær taler og en produktiv forfatter og dikter. Emma Goldman omtalte henne i 1932 som den mest begavede og strålende kvinnelige anarkist USA hadde frembrakt. Historikeren Max Nettlau, som spesialiserte seg på anarkismens historie, kalte henne «Anarkismens perle».

Hun vokste opp i en fattig familie, som den yngste av tre søstre. Moren, Harriet Elizabeth Billings, kom fra en familie av slaverimotstandere i New York. Faren, Hector de Cleyre, var omvandrende skredder. Han var opprinnelig fransk, men hadde fått sitt amerikanske statsborgerskap ved å kjempe i den amerikanske borgerkrigen. Voltairine fikk sitt navn etter den franske filosofen Voltaire.

Hennes far insisterte opprinnelig på at hun skulle bli nonne, og som tenåring bodde hun fire år i et katolsk kloster i Ontario og gikk på skole der. Ifølge historikeren Dan Georgakas rømte hun noen ganger, og var alltid ulydig. Som nittenåring var hun blitt en glødende ateist. Hun begynte allerede da å skrive og forelese om den frie tanke.

Det var særlig to hendelser som påvirket henne til å bli anarkist. Den første var at hun som ung hørte et foredrag om sosialisme, og forsto at det var mulig å forbedre forholdene for arbeiderklassen. Den andre hendelsen var Haymarketopptøyene i 1886, der en gruppe anarkister ble beskyldt og dømt for bombing på Haymarket-torget i Chicago under en demonstrasjon for 8-timers arbeidsdag.

Hun var også en aktiv feminist, og da hun var 24 år, holdt hun en forelesning i Philadelphia's Unity Congregation, der hun blant annet sa: «La kvinnen spørre seg selv: Hvorfor er jeg mannens slave? Hvorfor sies det at min hjerne ikke er likeverdig med hans? Hvorfor blir ikke mitt arbeid betalt like mye som hans?» Dette var i 1890. Hun grunnla en forening kalt the Ladies' Liberal League i Philadelphia i 1892. Formålet med foreningen skulle være å arrangere diskusjoner om kjønn, forbud, sosialisme, anarkisme og revolusjon. Hun tjente til livets opphold ved å gi privattimer i engelsk, skrivekunst og musikk i sitt eget hjem.

Til tross for at hun hele livet var fattig, hadde dårlig helse og levde et ulykkelig liv, som førte til at hun flere ganger forsøkte å ta sitt eget liv, holdt hun engasjerte taler og skrev flere hundre dikt, essayer, historier og andre tekster.