History of anarchism

The development of anarchist ideas, movements, and political actions from early critiques of authority to contemporary movements.

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William Godwin: An English political philosopher whose 1793 book argued that government and coercive institutions could be replaced by reasoned cooperation. His political philosophy is often treated as an early systematic statement of anarchist ideas.
Propaganda of the deed: A strategy that uses dramatic political action to inspire revolt or communicate revolutionary ideas. Its adoption by some anarchists shaped public perceptions and state repression in the late nineteenth century.
Paris Commune: A radical municipal government that ruled Paris from March to May 1871 before being defeated by French forces. Its self-governing institutions influenced later anarchist debates, though the Commune was not exclusively anarchist.
Emma Goldman: A Lithuanian-born American anarchist writer and activist who advocated revolution, free speech, and women's autonomy. Her speeches and writing brought anarchism into debates over labor, sexuality, and political violence.
Anarchist black cross: An international anarchist network that provides support to political prisoners and campaigns against state repression. It carries forward traditions of prisoner solidarity formed during periods of intense repression.
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: A French socialist and political writer who called himself an anarchist and proposed mutualist economic relations. His 1840 declaration that property is theft helped establish anarchism as a named political position.
Anarcho-syndicalism: A labor movement strategy that uses unions and direct action to challenge capitalism and state power. It offered a mass-organizing route distinct from conspiratorial or electoral politics.
Haymarket affair: A labor protest in Chicago in 1886 followed by a bomb explosion, trials, and executions of anarchist organizers. The affair became a defining episode in anarchist history and labor politics.
Errico Malatesta: An Italian anarchist and revolutionary who organized internationally and wrote on anarchist strategy. His long career connected insurrectionary politics with practical movement organization.
Autonomism: A Marxist political current emphasizing workers' autonomy and action outside traditional party structures. Its organizing practices overlap with anarchist movements while retaining distinct Marxist roots.