We also hear insights from active members in the movement, including rodney jester and mike curtis. For the economic philosophy based on the writings of henry george, see georgism. Georges 1879 book progress and poverty captured the imagination of millions in the united states and elsewhere, who found in his ideas a blueprint for an economic system that would retain capitalisms productive dynamism and distribute its fruits more fairly. Georges policy remedy is the single tax on land values, replacing all other. Initially a dry good merchant and a customhouse clerk, he later became a vestryman at st. An anthology of henry georges thought henry george. His father, richard samuel henry george, a second generation immigrant from england, was a devout episcopalian. George himself says very little about fiscal policy other than to compare the claimed benefits of his single tax proposal with the plethora of other taxes that are imposed. In his very important, and best selling book, poverty and progress, published in 1879. About the publisher forgotten books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Bryan caplan makes a good point with his and zac gochenours searchtheoretic critique of henry george s tax on the value of unimproved land. At the height of the industrial revolution, when george was writing progress and poverty, many individuals were making vast fortunes, unparalleled in history.
Henry george monument fairhope, alabama this marble obelisk memorializes both the 19th century social commentator henry george and the economic remedy he proposedthe single tax. Yet henry george, whose views on land and tax reform gave rise to the progressive and populist movements of the 1900s, is totally absent from us history books. George was right that other taxes may have stronger disincentives, but economists now recognize that the single land tax is not innocent, either. Today, rsf remains true to its founding doctrine, and through efforts focused on education, communities. Henry george was clearly operating in a paradigm where he considered governments had to cover public spending with taxation. Progress and poverty, volumes i and ii by henry george. He left school when he was years old and spent 2 years as a clerk before becoming a seaman. Henry george s best selling book that advocated social reform through the imposition of a single tax on land. Henry george progress and poverty lyrics and tracklist.
A documentary about henry george, the single tax, and the village of arden delaware. Henry george and the single tax by bob denigris arden georgist gild may, 1996 updated may, 2002 updated september, 2005. In his heyday henry george was very popular, with his ideas inspiring. The fundamental doctrine of henry george, the equal right of all men to the use of the earth, did not originate with him. Concerning four precursors of henry george and the single tax.
George s writings and years of social activism almost won him the mayors seat in new york city in 1886. Henry george september 21, 1839 october 29, 1897 was an american writer, politician and political economist, who was the most influential proponent of the land value tax, also known as the single tax on land. Today, the community still exists, leasing land to 1,300 farmers, business owners, and homeowners, and remains as a reminder of henry george s utopian ideas. Henry george and the crisis of inequality columbia. Documentary film about henry george and the single tax. Cigar henry george cigars i never pretended to not mi. He called the book progress and poverty, and published it in 1879. He inspired the economic philosophy known as georgism, whose main tenet is that people should own what they create, but that everything found in nature, most importantly. Henry george was born on september 2, 1839 in philadelphia. Filled with these ideas, henry george in 1871 sat down and in the course of four months wrote a little book under title of our land and land policy. Henry georges legacy divides into chapters devoted to georges connection to the ideas of his own time and chapters considering current issues where his ideas might be relevant. If henry george was able through his theories to end poverty and economic chaos, why was the idea of the single tax not accepted.
In 2009, tyler cowen wrote that georges 1886 book protection or free trade remains perhaps the bestargued tract on free trade to this day. Henry george was a journalist, writer, and political economist in the united states in the nineteenth century. But most have never paid a pure landvalue tax the type that followers of the political economist henry george proposed adopting as the nations single tax in the late 19th century. This social biography of henry george is a beautifully written, deeply researched, carefully argued, and analytically nuanced book. During the 1890s george, author of the 1879 bestseller progress and poverty, was the third most famous american, after mark twain and thomas edison. He was born in philadelphia, pennsylvania, on september 2, 1839. In that small volume of fortyeight pages he advocated the destruction of land monopoly by shifting all taxes from labor and the products of labor and concentrating them in one tax on the value. In place of all other taxes, george advocated a single tax that would appropriate for government use all rent on land. University, has published a number of books on economic history. Pease, socialist historian and longtime secretary of the fabian society, this volume beyond all question had more to do with the socialist revival of that period in england than any other book. And henry george provides a logical and workable even elegant remedy, one which will untangle many of the perverse incentives we cope with today. At the turn of the last century, henry george and the single tax movement he inspired were household names. Henry george was thus largely forgotten over the course of the twentieth century.
Odonnells own prodigious research, as well as his talent for synthesizing the findings of other scholars, makes this a social and political history of gilded age america as seen through the lens of henry georges extraordinary life. Apr 15, 2019 but most have never paid a pure landvalue taxthe type that followers of the political economist henry george proposed adopting as the nations single tax in the late 19th century. George s proposal to abolish all taxation save that upon land values became known as the single tax. In the 1930s, the city became the caretaker of fairhopes greatest assets, the beachfront park, the park lands on the bluff above the beach, henry george park, knoll park, and the quartermile long pier, all gifts of the single tax colony, which continues to have an active presence in the city to this day. The american economist and social reformer henry george 18391897 popularized the single tax reform movement. George never advocated outright expropriation of land, recognizing that society. Henry georges single tax movement was based on the argument that.
George s remedy came to be known as the single tax. Henry george, american author and political economist, and at one time one of the most famous people in america, was born in philadelphia on the 2nd of september 1839. Henry george biography facts, childhood, family life. These pages on henry george s remedy are illustrated with a selection of archival images of the history of the single tax movement. Nevertheless, georgist theory was quite popular in the late nineteenth century. Henry george and the single tax documentary and interview. Wells and george bernard shaw to become socialists henry george was convinced that all of the societys ills were rooted in rising land values. Henry george he is best known for advocating the single tax and founding the branch of economic philosophy termed as georgism. His bestknown follower was henry george, perhaps the only tax theorist in.
Henry georges single tax could combat inequality the atlantic. The thesis of the book is the proposal that all government revenue should come from a single tax on land. Henry george, born september 2, 1839, philadelphia, pennsylvaniadied october 29, 1897, new york city, new york, land reformer and economist who in progress and poverty 1879 proposed the single tax. Indeed, he became something of a cult figure, and his land value tax policy prescriptions also known as the single tax theory correspondingly marginalized. Concerning four precursors of henry george and the single tax book. A list of references to material in the new york public library bulletin of the new york public library sawyer, rollin alger on. But most have never paid a pure landvalue tax the type that followers of the political economist henry george proposed adopting as the nations single tax. A catalogue of the collection in the new york public library. Unlike other assets, george observed in his 1879 book progress and poverty, landseparate from any buildings constructed on itgenerates. Georges idea was to use this single tax to cut or eliminate all other taxes on capital, labor, and improvements an the land.
The term itself goes back to the french physiocrats almost 100 years before george. Eloquent, timely and challenging, this book soon became and remains the alltime bestseller on economic theory and policy. Henry george called for financing the government principally through property taxes on land. The single tax in vancouver founded upon the economic, political and social teachings of henry george, the proposal of a single tax with a view to ensuring that the wealthy paid their fair share found proponents throughout the world after the turn of the century. Economic rent could be heavily taxed without impairing the supply of land or therefor ethe productive capacity of the economy in his book, progress and poverty, henry george argued that. Henry george and the single tax henry george institute. The henry george school was founded in 1932 as part of a reform movement that sought to establish fundamental economic justice and sustainable prosperity for all. Jun 09, 2015 progress and poverty 1879, which became a surprise bestseller, offered a provocative solution for preserving these traditions while preventing the amassing of wealth in the hands of the few. His proposal was intended as much more than a mere fiscal device. Henry george wrote the most influential american economic treatise of the 19th century. George s idea was to use this single tax to cut or eliminate all other taxes on capital, labor, and improvements an the land. The government should finance all of its projects, he argued, with proceeds from only one tax.
Henry george september 2, 1839 october 29, 1897 was an american political economist and journalist. For the australian political party, see single tax league. This single tax would be on the unimproved value of landthe value that the land would have if it were in its natural state. Henry george and the single tax i was wondering if anyone is familiar with henry george and his single tax theory. I recently started a correspondence course on his book progress and poverty and was amazed by some of the people that complimented his work. The single tax is the name of a levy proposed by henry george in his book progress and poverty, published in 1879. This article is about systems of taxation based on one tax.
George was born on 2 nd september, 1839, in philapedia, pennsylvania. At the turn of the 20th century, the single tax movement was one of the most vital and influential forces of the progressive era. Henry george and the single tax democratic underground. Although henry george opposed all forms of taxation save that of a single tax on the value of land, many of his followers, including pennsylvania congressman warren worth bailey supported and helped draft the revenue act of 1916, which, as the historian elliot brownlee has argued transformed the experimental income tax into the primary. He inspired the economic philosophy known as georgism, based on the belief that people should own the. Pauls episcopalian church and started publishing sundayschool books. A the tax structure should consist solely of a highly progressive tax on nonwage incomes. Odonnells own prodigious research, as well as his talent for synthesizing the findings of other scholars, makes this a social and political history of gilded age america as seen through the lens of henry george s extraordinary life. I recently spoke with filmmaker mike bonner of city point films, the creator of henry george and the single tax documentary. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new. Progress and poverty, volumes i and ii an inquiry into the cause of industrial depressions and of increase of want with increase of wealth language.
A catalogue of the collection in the new york public library english translation of preface to swedish edition. Seventyfive years ago, henry george spelled out his single tax program progress and poverty, one of the bestselling economic works of all time. Henry georges best selling book that advocated social reform through the imposition of a single tax on land comstock law federal law promoted by a self appointed morality crusader and used to prosecute moral and sexual dissidents. His writing was immensely popular in the 19th century america, and sparked several reform movements of the progressive era. A catalogue of the collection in the new york public library classic reprint rollin alger sawyer on. He promoted the single tax on land, though he avoided that term. The robert schalkenbach foundation rsf is a private operating foundation, founded in 1925, to promote public awareness of the social philosophy and economic reforms advocated by famed 19th century thinker and activist, henry george.
Mason gaffney prepared for henry george centennial, 1997 henry george 18391897 is best known today for progress and poverty 1879. B interest is unearned income and should be taxed away by government. Although presented as a tax for practical purposes, it is actually a user fee a payment to society for the use of land whose value is determined by the market. In his book progress and poverty, george argued that the economic health of any government can be traced to its taxation policies. Henry george and the single tax documentary and interview, by.
Nov 30, 2017 i recently spoke with filmmaker mike bonner of city point films, the creator of henry george and the single tax documentary. The communitys land was held by the community, who paid only a single tax to cover public services. The last tax henry george school of social science. Updating henry georges meaning of single tax, by rick. This book, edited by john laurent university of southern queensland, australia, contains eleven essays dealing with highly diverse aspects of the ideas of henry george, the nineteenth century american economic reformer. Download pdf henry george and the single tax free online. George s 1879 book progress and poverty captured the imagination of millions in the united states and elsewhere, who found in his ideas a blueprint for an economic system that would retain capitalisms productive dynamism and distribute its fruits more fairly. This popular book was translated into many languages. Jul 06, 2019 the title of stephan thernstroms poverty and progress, a study of 19th century social mobility, was clearly inspired by an 1879 book by henry george, progress and poverty. George was right that other taxes may have stronger disincentives, but economists now recognize that the single. He moved west to california where he became a journalist and ultimately came to own the san francisco evening post. In it, george defined eight basic economic terms, in the classical manner. Henry george s single tax movement was based on the argument that.
Henry george september 2, 1839 october 29, 1897 was an american economist who wrote one of the most widely read economic treatises in history. The book is a treatise on the cyclical nature of an industrial economy and its remedies. The 26 minute film presents a basic historical overview of the man and the movement. Economist henry george biography, theories and books. Feb 14, 2012 its similar to a point that charles hooper made in his bio of henry george in the concise encyclopedia of economics. The movements primary goal was to bring about the land value tax or single tax advocated by george in his classic work, progress and poverty. Its similar to a point that charles hooper made in his bio of henry george in the concise encyclopedia of economics. Henry george was a populist economist whos most famous book was progress and poverty. A list of references to material in the new york public library bulletin of the new york public library. Nov 28, 2015 a documentary about henry george, the single tax, and the village of arden delaware.
610 983 1411 514 788 199 966 1273 691 135 1286 471 249 1182 188 36 1274 701 28 998 1322 463 4 1355 890 1142 1329 647 150 1200 1164 342 1207 785 869