Lillian Harman

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Lillian Harman

Lillian Harman (born 1870 ; died 1929 ) was an American suffragette and anarchist .

Life

Harman was the daughter of the anarchist and women's rights activist Moses Harman (1830-1910). She helped her father publish the magazines he edited, Lucifer, the Lightbearer (1883-1907), Our New Humanity (1895-1897) and the American Journal of Eugenics (1907-1910), the successor magazine to Lucifer . After her father's death, she published one last issue of this magazine in his memory ( Memorial to Moses Harman , January 30, 1910). With her husband Edwin C. Walker she published Fair Play (1888-1891).

Harman and Walker had undergone neither a church nor a public ceremony, but had in the September 20, 1886 Valley Falls chaired by Harman's father in front of a company of friends in an "autonomist marriage" ( autonomistic marriage connected). At the same time, Moses Harman first read out a treatise representing the principles of free marriage, Walker had renounced traditional marriage as a form of sexual enslavement of women in front of those present and the then 16-year-old Lillian Harman had declared:

“I enter into this union with Mr. Walker of my own free will and choice, and I agree with the views of my father and Mr. Walker as just expressed. I make no promises that may become impossible or immoral for me to fulfill, but retain the right to act always, as my conscience and best judgment shall dictate. I retain, also, my full maiden name, as I am sure it is my duty to do so. "

“I enter into this association with Mr. Walker of my own free will and choice, and declare my agreement with the views expressed by my father and Mr. Walker. I do not make promises that are impossible or immoral for me to keep, but reserve the right to always act as my conscience and judgment will dictate. In addition, I will continue to carry my full maiden name, as I am sure that this is my duty. "

As a result, a criminal complaint was filed because Harman and Walker lived together in wild marriage contrary to the laws of Kansas . The Jefferson County Justice of the Peace ordered the arrest of the couple, who were taken to and stayed in Oskaloosa Jail because the $ 1,000 bail was not placed. On October 20, 1886, the Oskaloosa jury found the couple guilty and sentenced Walker to 75 and Harman to 45 days in prison, but both remained in custody beyond those times as they refused to pay the court fees. Rather, they appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court , which dismissed their action on March 4, 1887, but allowed Harman to continue to use her maiden name. The couple were released on April 4 after Moses Harman paid court fees.

In 1898 Harman visited England, where she had been elected President of the Legitimation League in 1897, an association that originally had the legitimation of illegitimate children as its main goal, but under her leadership concentrated on the propagation of free love . She has made numerous contributions to The Adult , the association's magazine. Harman's engagement in England did not last long, however, as in 1898 George Bedborough, editor of Adult , was charged with publishing Havelock Ellis ' sex science work Sexual Inversion , which was considered an obscene script. In 1899, the Adult stopped appearing and the Legitimation League disbanded.

Fonts

  • with Edwin C. Walker: Autonomistic marriage practicalized: a brief report of the event, and some comments thereon. OCLC 63174439
  • Some problems of social freedom:… being the residential address delivered before the Legitimation League at its annual meeting… on April 30th, 1898. The Adult, London 1898.
  • Marriage and mortality. M. Harman, Chicago 1900.
  • The Regeneration of Society. M. Harman, Chicago 1900.

literature

  • Jessica M. Moran (ed.): Some problems of social freedom and other writings from "The adult". Kate Sharpley Library, London & Berkeley 2012, ISBN 978-1-873605-21-9 .
  • Candace Falk, Barry Pateman: Emma Goldman: A Documentary History of the American Years. Vol. 1: Made for America… Univ. of California Press, Berkeley 2003, ISBN 0-520-08670-8 , p. 533.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lucifer , October 1, 1886.
  2. ↑ a b William Lemore West: The Story of Moses Harman . In: Kansas Historical Quarterly Vol. 37 No. 1 (Spring 1971), pp. 41-63 online
  3. ^ Lillian Harman: The new president of the Legitimation League. In: The Adult: the journal of sex. Vol. 1, No. 1 (1897), p. 11
personal data
SURNAME Harman, Lillian
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American suffragette and anarchist
DATE OF BIRTH 1870
DATE OF DEATH 1929