Henry George American writer, politician and political economist Date of Birth: 02.09.1839 Country: USA

Biography of Henry George

Henry George, an American writer, politician, and political economist, was born on September 2, 1839, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the second of ten children in a lower-middle-class family. At the age of 14, his formal education came to an end, and a year later, he worked as a cabin boy on the ship 'Hindoo,' sailing to Melbourne and Calcutta. After spending 14 months at sea, he returned to Philadelphia and became an apprentice typesetter before heading to California in hopes of striking gold. However, his attempt to find wealth through gold mining was unsuccessful, and in 1865, he returned to typography, working as a printer, journalist, and eventually becoming an editor and newspaper owner. He went on to own several newspapers, including the 'San Francisco Daily Evening Post' from 1871 to 1875.

In California, George fell in love with Annie Corsina Fox, an 18-year-old Australian orphan living with her uncle. Despite her uncle's objections due to George's poor financial prospects, Annie and Henry eloped and married in late 1861. Their marriage was very happy, and they had four children. Although George belonged to the Protestant denomination, Annie's mother was an Irish Catholic, and their children were raised as Catholics. On November 3, 1862, Annie gave birth to their son, Henry George Jr., who would later become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York. In 1865, their second child, Richard F. George, a future sculptor, was born. They also had two daughters: Jennie George, born in 1867, and Anna Angela George, born in 1879, who would later become the mother of dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille and actress Peggy George.

George began his political career as a Republican but later became a Democrat. He was a vocal critic of the interests of railroad magnates, mine owners, corrupt politicians, land speculators, and contractors. During a horseback ride in 1871, George had a revelation that the growth of poverty was directly linked to the growth of wealth. As population increased, the value of land also rose, and those who worked on the land had to pay more for this privilege. Additionally, during a visit to New York, he observed the paradox that the poor in old cities struggled more than the poor in less-developed California. These observations formed the basis of his book 'Progress and Poverty,' published in 1879, which became his most famous work. The book sold over 3 million copies and focused on the concentration of wealth as the main cause of poverty.

In 1880, already a popular writer and speaker, George moved to New York and developed close ties with the Irish community, despite his English heritage. He made several trips abroad to places like Ireland and Scotland, where access to land was (and still is) a major political issue.

In 1886, George ran for the position of Mayor of New York City, but was unsuccessful. In 1897, he ran again as an independent Democrat. Unfortunately, George passed away from a stroke on October 29, 1897, just four days before the elections. Around 100,000 people attended his funeral, honoring the great thinker.