The ACLU begins in Greenwich Village
One hundred years ago today … The American Civil Liberties Union held its first meeting, at 138 West 13th Street. A detailed account of the history that led to this moment is offered by historian Samuel Walker here.
Minutes from ACLU meeting January 19, 1920. Part 1. Princeton University Archives & Public Policy Papers Collection.
Minutes from ACLU meeting January 19, 1920. Part 2. Princeton University Archives & Public Policy Papers Collection.
The ACLU was formed largely in response to the Palmer Raids out of the remains of several other organizations: the American Union Against Militarism (AUAM) and the National Civil Liberties Bureau. Roger Baldwin, who had headed the NCLB, was named ACLU director, a position he would hold for 30 years.
Other key figures in the establishment of the ACLU include Norman Thomas, Jane Addams, Chrystal Eastman, Clarence Darrow, John Dewey, Abraham Muste, Rex Stout, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Upton Sinclair.