Life Voltairine de Cleyre

a flier advertising memorial event held few days after de cleyre s death

during time in freethought movement in mid , late 1880s, de cleyre influenced thomas paine, mary wollstonecraft , clarence darrow. other influences henry david thoreau, big bill haywood , eugene debs. after hanging of haymarket protesters in 1887, however, became anarchist. till believed in essential justice of american law of trial jury, wrote in autobiographical essay, after never .

she known excellent speaker , writer – in opinion of biographer paul avrich, greater literary talent other american anarchist  – , tireless advocate anarchist cause, religious zeal, according goldman, stamped did.

she gave birth son, harry, on june 12, 1890, fathered freethinker james b. elliot. agreed de cleyre , elliot, harry lived elliot , de cleyre had no part in upbringing. close , inspired dyer d. lum, ( teacher, confidant, comrade in words of goldman). relationship him ended shortly before suicide in 1893.

de cleyre based operations 1889 1910 in philadelphia, lived among poor jewish immigrants, , sympathy anarchist beliefs common. there, taught english , music, , learned speak , write in yiddish.

throughout life de cleyre plagued illness, including goldman described disease of nervous system had developed in childhood, along depression, attempting suicide on @ least 2 occasions. survived assassination attempt on december 19, 1902. assailant, herman helcher, former pupil had earlier been rendered insane fever, , whom forgave. wrote, outrage against civilization if sent jail act product of diseased brain . attack left chronic ear pain , throat infection adversely affected ability speak or concentrate.

during spring of 1911 encouraged revolution in mexico, , activities of anarchist ricardo flores magón. last poem dedicated mexican activists.

voltairine de cleyre died on june 20, 1912, @ st. mary of nazareth hospital in chicago, illinois, septic meningitis. interred near emma goldman, haymarket defendants, , other social activists @ waldheim cemetery (now forest home cemetery), in forest park, suburb west of chicago.