Biography: Luigi Galleani
Luigi Galleani (1861-1931) was a major 20th century anarchist born in Vercelli Italy. Famous internationally, he was a proponent of propaganda by the deed. Galleani became versed in legal and political theory at the University of Turin while acquiring a law degree. As a fervent supporter of Anarchism, he was wanted by the Italian police. Consequently, Galleani fled Turin before completing his degree in 1880. Galleani wound up in France, where he would spend 20 years. He spent a brief period in Switzerland before being deported. Galleani was deported soon after arriving in France, and returned to Italy.
In Italy he was arrested and detained for several years in prison and on the island of Pantelleria. He married a woman on the island and fathered four children by her. He escaped the island to Egypt, where he was soon in danger of extradition. Fearing a return to Italy, Galleani fled to England, where he immigrated to the United States, settling initially in New Jersey where he was editor of La Questione Sociale. In 1902, Galleani was wounded at a demonstration during the Patterson silk strike, and later indicted for inciting to riot. He fled to Canada, where he was literally thrown across the border. Arriving in Barre Vermont, Galleani found refuge with the Italian stone masons in the area. He was the founder and editor of the Cronaca Sovversiva, a major Italian anarchist periodical which ran for a period of about 15 years before being shut down by the U.S. government. Several books that bear his name are excerpts from Cronaca Sovversiva. The one exception is La Fine dell’anarchismo? (The End of Anarchism?) in which Galleani asserts that Anarchy is far from dead, but in fact is a force to be reckoned with.
Chronology of Luigi Galleani
1861 – Born in Italy.
Late 1870’s – Becomes an anarchist while studying law at the University of Turin.
1880-1900 – Flees to France to evade prosecution in Italy. Galleani is expelled from France and moves to Switzerland. He is expelled once again from Switzerland and returns to Italy.
1895 – Captured and imprisoned on the island of Pantelleria, off of Sicily.
1900 – Escapes Pantelleria, flees to Egypt.
1901 – Arrives in the United States. Settles in Paterson, NJ.
1902 – Leads Paterson silk workers in general strike. Galleani wounded when police open fire on the strikers. Escapes to Canada.
1903 – Returns to the U.S. via Vermont.
June 6, 1903 – Founds Cronaca Sovversiva, an important anarchist periodical.
1906 – Captured by authorities due to a tip off from Giacinto Menotti Serrati, editor of Il Proletario.
1907 – Tried for his role in the 1902 strike. The trial ends in a hung jury, and Galleani is set free. Returns to Vermont to return to editting.
1912 – Relocates to Lynn, Massachusetts.
1914 – Faccia a facciao col nemico (Face to Face with the Enemy) published.
1919 – Galleani deported. Officially the deportation was carried out by the Department of labr.
November 4, 1931 – Dies at the age of 70 from a heart attack.
Bibliography: Luigi Galleani
Galleani, Luigi, 1861-1931. Aneliti e singulti, Luigi Galleani. Newark, N.J.: Biblioteca de L’Adunata dei refrattari, [1935] [4], 363, p.; 23 cm. Language: Italian
Galleani, Luigi, 1861-1931. “Fine dell’anarchismo?” English. The end of anarchism?, Luigi Galleani; translated from the Italian by Max Sartin and Robert D’Attilio ; with an introduction by M.S. Orkney ; Minneapolis, Minn. : Cienfuegos Press, 1982. 83 p.; 22 cm. Language: English
Galleani, Luigi, 1861-1931.” La fine dell’anarchismo?”, Luigi Galleani; edizione curata da vecchi lettori di Cronaca sovversiva. [Newark, N.J.? : s.n.], 1925. x, 130 p.; 19 cm. Language: Italian
Galleani, L. “Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910.)” (1910). Barre, Vermont: Cronaca Sovversiva.
Galleani, Luigi, and Barry Pateman. Anarchy will be!: selected writings of Luigi Galleani. Edinburgh: AK, 2006. Print.
Galleani, Luigi. “The End of Anarchism?” Orkney: Cienfuegos Press, 1982. Print.
Galleani, Luigi. Il pensiero di Galleani. Ancona: Gruppo editore “L’Antistato”, 1950. Print.
Galleani, Luigi. “Medaglioni: figure e figuri”. Newark, N.J.: L’Adunata dei refrettari, 1930. Print.
Other works
Faccia a facciao col nemico (“Face to Face with the Enemy,” 1914)
La Salute è in voi! (“Health is in You!”)
Cronaca Sovversiva
“A Stormo!” (1920)
La Questione Sociale
“Figure figuri” (Men and Mugs — a book of pen sketches)