Progress and Poverty

Henry George (1839-1897) was an American economist and reformer. He is best known for his ideas in political economy, which became known as “Georgism.” Progress and Poverty (1879) is his most famous book. One of the author’s main ideas is the shared ownership of land and its resources.

George was born in Philadelphia. He did not complete school and began working as a clerk in his early teens. In the next two decades, George held a variety of jobs. He worked on a ship and traveled to Australia and India. Returning to the U.S., he learned to be a typesetter. He also went to California for the Gold Rush. George remained in that state working in publishing, such as his job at the San Francisco Chronicle. He even founded the San Francisco Daily Evening Post.

In 1876, George began working as a state inspector of gas meters for the Governor of California. This government appointment allowed him to focus on his writing of Progress and Poverty. The book became very popular. As a result, George went on speaking tours throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia, and his ideas made a significant international impact.

In the 1880s, George lived in New York City.