ABSTRACT
Goldman’s arrest in 1917 under the Selective Service Act was not her first brush with the law. She was arrested numerous times, most famously in connection with President William McKinley’s assassination after the man who killed him said Goldman’s words inspired him. Goldman’s time in America also included multiple fights for free speech, including work with the Free Speech League on behalf of British anarchist John Turner and birth control advocate Margaret Sanger. This chapter examines pertinent details such as these from Goldman’s life before her arrest and conviction in federal court. It also includes an analysis of Mother Earth, Goldman’s anarchist magazine, which, along with a tireless public-speaking schedule, was one of Goldman’s main ways of sharing her views. Mother Earth was particularly important to Goldman’s No-Conscription League efforts and was used as evidence against her in federal court. This chapter explores the writings and speeches Goldman and her allies used to promote the No-Conscription League’s principles, which would later lead to Goldman’s arrest and deportation. It also demonstrates how the mainstream press emphasized Goldman and her followers’ foreignness in coverage of the League’s activities.
