#15: Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940)
Emma Goldman immigrated to the United States at 16 and became a leading anarchist writer and speaker. She advocated women’s independence, birth control, workers’ rights, opposition to war, and greater freedom in personal relationships. Her lectures drew large audiences and frequent attention from law enforcement. In 1917, Goldman was arrested for opposing military conscription during World War I. She was deported in 1919 but continued writing and speaking internationally. Authority, in Goldman’s view, was something to question rather than automatically obey.
