The No Conscription League was an anarchist organisation designed to promote anti-draft manifestos and aid those who refused military service. The league lasted for 6 weeks and was used to charge its founders

Emma Goldman Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Russian-born anarchist political activist and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the ...

and

Alexander Berkman Alexander Berkman (November 21, 1870June 28, 1936) was a Russian-American anarchist and author. He was a leading member of the anarchist movement in the early 20th century, famous for both his political activism and his writing. B ...

with conspiracy to obstruct the draft.

Formation

The No Conscription League in the United States was founded by anarchist

and

in 1917 in response to the draft in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The draft was enforced by the

Selective Service Act of 1917 The Selective Service Act of 1917 or Selective Draft Act () authorized the United States federal government to raise a national army for service in World War I through conscription. It was envisioned in December 1916 and brought to President ...

, which granted the federal government the right to raise a national army. The league viewed the draft as a destroyer of the freedom to ethical and political choice granted by the constitution of the United States. The members of the league strongly opposed government-enforced conscription; they saw it as a violation of the liberty of American people. This oppression was justified by

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

Espionage Act of 1917 The Espionage Act of 1917 is a United States federal law enacted on June 15, 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I. It has been amended numerous times over the years. It was originally found in Title 50 of the U.S. Code (War ...

, which prohibited any action that would interfere with the US military or government affairs. Many were prosecuted under this act, including those in the No Conscription League. Those charged were fined a maximum of 10,000 dollars and were sentenced to up to 20 years of imprisonment.

Manifesto

Emma Goldman and the members of her league published a piece of literature known as the No Conscription League manifesto. This document goes into great detail about the freedoms of Americans, and how the government was oppressing citizens' certain unalienable rights. Goldman urges the nation for support and promotes the need to protect and fight for one's liberty as a citizen. This pamphlet went into circulation with over 100,000 printed, which caused fear in the eyes of the US government. The following is the platform on which the league was founded, taken from the manifesto itself:

Gatherings

Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman held a mass No Conscription League meeting on 4 June 1917. In addition to Goldman and Berkman, speakers included Louis Baury, "Mother" Yusher, Stella Comyn Ballantine,

Leonard D. Abbott Leonard Abbott (May 20, 1878 – 1953) was an anarchist and socialist best known for co-founding the Stelton Colony and related Ferrer Association in the 1910s. Early life and activism Leonard Abbott was born in Liverpool on May 20, 1878, ...

, Katia Siebel, and Rose Yuster. After the meeting, police asked to see the selective service enrollment cards of many participants; many did not have these cards and were detained and taken to jail. There was much fear, due to governmental restrictions such as the Espionage Act.

Government response

Due to the mass number of publications of the manifesto, the government retaliated against people who were in opposition to the draft. Anti-draft meetings were forbidden, and those speaking out against the draft were to be arrested. In response to the 4 June 1917 mass meeting, Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were arrested with bail set at $25,000 each. According to the PBS time line on Emma Goldman regarding her arrest, "Berkman and Goldman were found guilty of conspiracy against the selective draft law in New York City. They were fined $10,000, sentenced to two years' imprisonment, and immediately transported to federal penitentiaries: Berkman was sent to Atlanta State Penitentiary in Georgia and Goldman was taken to Jefferson City Penitentiary in Missouri"."American Experience , Emma Goldman , Timeline , PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 24 November 2010.

References

{{Authority control Conscription in the United States Anti-conscription organizations Opposition to World War I 1917 in the United States

Formation

Manifesto

Gatherings

Government response

See also

References