Johann Most

Johann Most was a man who had many jobs.

He once worked to bind books.

He also made small boxes for hats. He sold them on the street. This helped him earn money.

Later, he became a writer. He wrote for many papers. He had very strong ideas about the world.

Some people did not like his ideas. This led to him going to jail. He spent time in jail many times.

He moved to a new land called America.

He lived there for a long time. He was a very famous speaker.

Johann Most was a man with very strong ideas.

He was born in Germany. As a child, he had a hard life. He was often treated poorly by others. He also had a serious illness that changed his face.

Most grew up to be a writer and a speaker. He joined a group called the Social Democrats. They wanted to change how society worked. Most wrote books and papers to share these ideas. He even served as a leader in the German government for a short time.

Later, Most became an anarchist. Anarchists believe in a world without rulers. He believed in a way called "propaganda of the deed." This meant using violent acts to cause change. He wrote a book about how to make bombs. Because of this, people called him "Dynamost."

Most moved to the United States in 1882. He started a new paper called *Freiheit*.

He was arrested many times for his words. He died in Ohio after getting sick. His ideas still caused much debate in America.

Johann Joseph Most was a famous German-American politician and editor. He was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, on February 5, 1846. His early life was very difficult and full of hardship. His mother died of cholera when he was a young child. He also suffered from physical abuse by a teacher and a stepmother. A serious illness caused frostbite on his face. Later, a surgeon had to remove part of his jawbone. This left him with a permanent disfigurement.

Most worked many different jobs as a young man. He was an apprentice bookbinder and worked from dawn until sunset. He traveled to 50 different cities in six countries. Between 1863 and 1868, he worked as a journeyman bookbinder. Later, he sold wooden boxes for cigars and matches on the street. He eventually became interested in international socialism. He followed the ideas of thinkers like Karl Marx. Most even served as a deputy in the German Reichstag. He represented the Chemnitz area from 1874 until 1878.

As time passed, Most changed his political views. He moved away from social democracy and toward anarchism. Anarchists believe in a society without rulers or government. He believed in a concept called "propaganda of the deed." This meant using violent actions to create political change. He published a famous manual in 1885 called *The Science of Revolutionary Warfare*. This book taught people how to make explosives like dynamite. Because of this book, people gave him the nickname "Dynamost."

Most moved to the United States in 1882. He wanted to help German immigrants and workers there. In New York, he published a newspaper called *Fre Freiheit*. He was often arrested for his strong and controversial words. In 1884, police found a letter from him in a desk. The letter used the word "medicine" as a code for dynamite. Most was arrested several times for his writing. One arrest happened after President McKinley was assassinated in 1901.

His ideas influenced many famous people in history. Two well-known anarchists, Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman, followed his theories. However, Most later became a critic of these two people. He even had a public argument with Emma Goldman. In Cincinnati, Ohio, Most became very ill with erysipelas. He died a few days later on March 17, 1906. His life remains a significant part of political history. His grandson was the famous radio announcer Johnny Most.

Johann Joseph "Hans" Most was a prominent German-American politician and editor. He was a central figure in the radical political movements of the late 19th century. Most was a leader in both Social Democracy and later, anarchism. He is most famous for popularizing the concept of "propaganda of the deed." This term describes using violent actions to spark political change. Most became a highly controversial figure due to his advocacy for revolutionary violence.

Most's early life in Augsburg, Bavaria, was marked by significant hardship. His mother passed away from cholera when he was a very young child. He also experienced physical abuse from a schoolteacher and a stepmother. As a child, he suffered from severe frostbite on the left side of his face. This condition led to infection and eventually terminal cancer. To treat the illness, a surgeon removed a two-inch section of his jawbone. This medical procedure left him with a permanent facial disfigurement.

His professional life began with manual labor and travel. At age twelve, he organized a student strike against a teacher. This resulted in his expulsion from formal schooling. He became an apprentice bookbinder, working from dawn until sunset. Between 1863 and 1868, he worked as a journeyman bookbinder in 50 cities across six countries. After being blacklisted in Vienna for staging a strike, he sold wooden boxes for matches and cigars. However, police eventually stopped his street trading because he lacked a license.

Most eventually turned toward the political theories of international socialism. He studied the doctrines of Karl Marx and Ferdinand Lassalle. In 1873, he wrote a summary of Marx's influential work, *Das Kapital*. Although Marx and Friedrich Engels provided corrections for a second edition in 1876, they did not believe his summary was fully satisfactory. Most was elected as a Social Democratic deputy to the German Reichstag. He represented the Chemnitz constituency from 1874 until 1878. During this time, he was frequently arrested for his verbal attacks on religion and patriotism.

His political views shifted from socialism to anarchism after he was forced into exile. He moved to London and founded the newspaper *Freiheit*, or "Freedom," on January 4, 1879.

Most began to believe that parliamentary politics were ineffective. He embraced the idea that the existing system could be overthrown through the "annihilation of its exponents." In 1885, he published a pamphlet titled *The Science of Revolutionary Warfare*. This manual provided instructions on making explosives like nitroglycerine, dynamite, and bombs. This publication earned him the nickname "Dynamost."

In 1882, Most emigrated to the United States to work among German immigrants. He resumed publishing *Freiheit* in New York and became a major influence on American anarchists. His associates included August Spies, who was involved in the Haymarket Square bombing. Police later found a letter from Most in Spies's desk using "medicine" as a code for dynamite. Most was arrested multiple times in America. These arrests occurred in 1886, 1887, and 1902. The final arrest followed the assassination of President McKinley, after Most published an editorial arguing against the crime of killing a ruler.

Most's theories deeply influenced famous activists like Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. In 1892, Berkman attempted to assassinate factory manager Henry Clay Frick, inspired by Most's ideas. However, Most later became a harsh critic of both Goldman and Berkman. He accused Berkman of performing the act merely to gain sympathy. This caused a major rift, leading Emma Goldman to confront him publicly. During one lecture, she struck him with a horsewhip in response to his criticisms.

Most's life ended in Cincinnati, Ohio, after he fell ill while giving a speech. He was diagnosed with erysipelas, a bacterial skin infection. He died a few days later on March 17, 1906. His legacy remains tied to the intense debates over political violence and revolutionary tactics. His grandson, Johnny Most, later became a well-known radio play-by-play announcer for the Boston Celtics.