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“The woman who Emma Goldman would call ‘the most gifted and brilliant anarchist woman America ever produced’ was born on November 17, 1866 in Leslie, Michigan. Voltairine de Cleyre was born into poverty; however, her family was rooted in intellectual free thought. Such a lineage of free thought advocacy may be noted in that her name was given to her by her father in celebration of Voltaire and his free thought philosophy.

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Although de Cleyre preferred not to label her expressions of anarchism, her writings reveal her tendencies as an individualist anarchist. Her essay ‘Anarchism and American Traditions’ serves to outline her openness to experiment with economy, faith and social structure while revealing the individualist anarchist’s disdain for any centralized organization, including the state. Just as de Cleyre placed anarchism open to various belief structures and even religious experimentation, she emphasized the need to bring about change through education and labor organizing, while at the same time demonstrating understanding, compassion, and support for those who resort to violence.

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Though active in the cause for labor equity until the time of her death, on June 20, 1912, Voltairine de Cleyre died in Chicago succumbing to the plague of persistent illness. Her funeral was held and she was buried at Waldheim Cemetery alongside the Haymarket martyrs.”

-Excerpts from ‘The Voltairine de Clayre Reader’