Henry George papers

Collection

Identifier: MS-HUT-013

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Collection consists of published popular editions of Henry George's speeches, campaign pamphlets, broadsides, and autograph letters. The material spans the years 1867-1897, when George was well known in America and Europe. George's speeches and writings set forth his theories on tax reform, labor reform and issues leading to an equitable distribution of wealth. Of interest is a copy of the famous "Moses" lecture presented in Glasgow, Dec. 28, 1884 and an advertisement for the San Francisco Land Reform League, 1879.

Dates

Creation: 1867-1897

Creator

George, Henry, 1839-1897 (Person)

Use Restrictions

All access to this collection is unrestricted

Biographical Note

Henry George was an American economist and a social reformer. He was born in Philadelphia in 1839. He served as a printer's apprentice and sailed as a foremast boy before becoming employed as a typesetter in San Francisco in 1859. He worked as a journalist, later founding and editing the "San Francisco Evening Post." As Editor, he attacked the monopolies controlling the railroads and wire services. His published pamphlet, "Our Land and Policy" (1871) set forth his theory of the single-tax wherby the entire tax burden would be laid on land. This was expanded into his classic work, "Progress and Poverty," (1880). George lectured in England and Scotland and wrote widely on land reform, tax restructuring, and the distribution of wealth. Henry George died in New York, Oct. 29, 1897