Paths to Utopia: Anarchist Counter-Cultures in Late Victorian and Edwardian Britain 1880–1914

343 Pages·2011·26.09 MB·English

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PATHS TO UTOPIA: ANARCHIST COUNTER-
CULTURES
IN LATE VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN
BRITAIN 1880-1914.
By Matthew James Thomas.
Submitted in fulfilment for degree Ph. D. in History University
the to the
part of of
Warwick
July 1998.
I is
that the text this thesis
confirm
of all my own work
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:...,.
ý..:.... May 2008
..... ......................
ll
Summary.
Most historiography
British Anarchism has
Anarchists
on concluded that the
little
contributed very to the political, social and cultural life of Britain. This thesis to
aims
The failure
Anarchism
provide an alternative view. has
of
as a coherent political
movement
been
by The
adequately charted others. the is investigate
purpose of present to the
work
impact Anarchist ideas
of and practices the It
within
wider political culture.
will
demonstrate
Anarchism
that had
significant things to the issues
say about many of
British
troubling
society at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth
The Anarchist
demonstrated high degree
centuries.
contribution
often
a of originality and
deserves be
therefore
coherence and to taken
seriously.
The first
the British Anarchism from 1880's
chapter outlines evolution of the
in
to for
onwards order construct a chronological and organisational context the thematic
debates follow. It historical
that Anarchist in
the
provides an account of various groups
Britain
their the the Socialist Chapter Two builds
and relations with rest of movement. on
by discussing
this the British
various social and cultural mileux characteristic of
Anarchism. The following Anarchist
the to
chapters present evidence of contribution a
diverse developments in British between 1880's 1914. In
the
variety of society and order,
living, Syndicalism
these trade
are educational practices, communal ways of unionism, and
finally in The Anarchist
the that,
status of women society. conclusion maintains although
influence by failures, Anarchists
the
was weakened sectarianism and organisational
both
to the theorists
nevertheless made an original contribution political culture, as and
practical activists.
iii
Contents.
Summary.
ii
Contents.
iii
Acknowledgements.
iv
Abbreviations.
V
Preface.
1
Chapter 1. The British Anarchism.
5
evolution of
Chapter 2. Anarchist
51
cultural mileaux.
Chapter 3. `No high low': Anarchist 95
master or education experiments.
Chapter 4. Castles in Anarchism 135
the
air? and alternative communities.
Chapter 5. Anarchism World Labour: The New Unionism 1889-1900. 178
the
and of
Chapter 6. Anarchism World Labour: Syndicalism 1900-1914. 221
the
and of
Chapter 7. Anarchism 265
the
and politics of gender.
Conclusion. 306
314
Bibliography.
iv
Acknowledgements.
It is difficult has during
to thank the
everyone who provided me with assistance
has been left
this the these
course of work, and effort of everyone who out of
have been ignored, but having halt
the to
acknowledgements not are rather victims of call a
First I for both financial
thank their
somewhere. must my parents unstinting support, and
I have done I indebted
this them. to
moral. could not work without am also my supervisor
Dr. James Hinton for his helpful
throughout
advice and support my period of study.
I
I libraries deposits that
to the the
am grateful all of staff at various and record
International Institute Social History in Amsterdam, the
those the
visited, especially at of
Library in London.
Modem Records Centre the University Warwick the British
at of and
helpful during in I their
They were most and supportive the time which was working within
Finally, I to Danielle Hipkins for the translation of several articles
am grateful
archives.
from foreign Anarchist journals. I have been lucky to have been able to rely
also enough
during
her the of crisis and enjoyment.
many moments
ever present support
upon
V
Abbreviations.
ACF
Amalgamation
Committees
Federation.
-
ASE Amalgamated
Society
Engineers.
of
-
AST Amalgamated Society
Tailors.
of
-
BAIU British Advocates
Industrial Unionism
of
-
CGT Confederation
Generale
du Travail.
-
GFTU General Federation Trade Unions.
of
-
GNCTU Grand National Consolidated
Union.
-
IDL Industrial Democracy League.
-
IL Industrial League.
-
ILP Independent Labour Party.
-
ISEL Industrial Syndicalist Education League.
-
IUDA Industrial Union Direct Actionists.
of
-
IWW Industrial Workers World.
the
of
-
LEL Labour Emancipation League.
-
MFGB Miners' Federation Great Britain.
of
-
Amalgamated Union Shop Assistants, Warehousemen
NAUSAWC National
and
of
-
Clerks.
Association Tramway, Hackney
Counties Amalgamated
NCAATHCE Northern of and
-
Carriage Employees
Shoe Operatives.
Union Boot
NUBSO National
of and
-
Clerks.
Warehousemen
Shop Assistants,
Union
National Amalgamated and
NUSAWC of
-
Society.
Bricklayers
OBS Operative
-
Stonemasons Society.
Operative
OSS
-
Federation.
Social Democratic
SDF-
Socialist League.
SL
-
Vi
SLP Socialist Labour Party.
-
SWMF South Wales Miners Federation.
-
TUC Trade Union Congress.
-
URC Unofficial Reform Committee.
-
WSPU Women's Social Political Union.
and
-
Preface.
2
Most historiography British Anarchism has Anarchists
that the
on concluded contributed
little life Britain. This failure Anarchism
to the
very political, social and cultural of of as a
for it, have been by
the
coherent political movement, and reasons adequately charted
historians. Hermia Oliver John Quail, for British Anarchism
that
and example, concluded
'
`did `failed beyond
to
not achieve anything', and survive periods of great excitement'.
Peter Marshall `Anarchism little inroads into
took that
a similar view, maintaining made
British labour Eric Hobsbawm `there Anarchist
the
that
movement', while claimed was no
2
Such be if
the
movement of significance'. views must accepted one remains confined, as
do, Anarchist `political Those
the
above authors within narrow confines of an movement'.
historians have Anarchism have
taken the
who seriously concentrated mainly on exploring
formal history Anarchist However, I
the
organisational of movement. such an approach,
is limited. It history deals `small
that
would argue, constrains us within a solely with sects
beyond journals live die
that
which never get role, groups, or whatnot which and within a
'
decade
without ever playing much of a part'.
impact Anarchism is focus
A the to
of not on
more productive way of uncovering
Anarchist but Anarchist forms thinking
the activities of groups as such, rather on of and
is investigate impact
The the therefore to the of
activism. purpose of present study
It demonstrate
that
Anarchist ideas the political culture. will
and practices within wider
issues British
Anarchism had things to say about many of the troubling society
significant
The Anarchist
beginning
the twentieth
the the and of centuries.
at end of nineteenth
demonstrated high degree therefore
and coherence and
of originality
a
contribution often
Helm,
' Oliver. The International Anarchist Movement in Late Victorian London, (Croom
H.
British
London. 1983). 152 J. Quail, The Slow Burning Fuse: The Lost History of the
p. and
London, 1978), 308-9.
Anarchists. (Paladin. p.
Press. London,
1 Marshall. Demanding the Impossible: A History Anarchism, (Fontanna
P. of
Nicolson Ltd.
491. See E. J. Hobsbawm, Worlds Labour. (Weidenfeld
and
1993), also of
p.
3.
1984),
London,
p.
3
3.
Ibid.,
p.