Emma Goldman, Anarchist and Disturber, and Alexander Berkman
12/2/1918
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On May 18th, 1917, Congress enacted the Selective Service Act of 1917. Under this act, all men between the ages of 21 and 30 were required to register for the draft. Later that year, congress enacted the Espionage Act of 1917, which made attempting to disrupt the draft a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment. For speaking out against the draft, Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman (pictured above) were sentenced to two years in jail.
The original description for this photograph reads; "Emma Goldman, Anarchist and disturber, and her ever present aid, Alexander Berkman, who is a Socialist, Anarchist and general trouble maker, who, together, were arrested and convicted of obstructing the draft."
This primary source comes from the Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs.
Full Citation: Photograph 165-WW-163F-9; Enemy Activities - Officials - Emma Goldman, anarchist and disturber, and her ever present aid, Alexander Berkman, who is a Socialist, Anarchist, and general trouble maker, who, together, were arrested and convicted of obstructing the draft; 12/2/1918; Enemy Activities - Officials; American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 - 1918; Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs, Record Group 165; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/goldman-anarchist-disturber, May 4, 2024]