Henry George - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Henry George (1839-1897) was an American political economist, journalist, and philosopher whose revolutionary ideas about land ownership and taxation continue to influence economic thought and social reform movements well into the modern era. His seminal work, "Progress and Poverty" (1879), became the bestselling book on economics of the 19th century, articulating a profound paradox that still resonates today: why does poverty persist amid growing wealth?
Born in Philadelphia to lower-middle-class parents, George's early life was marked by financial hardship and autodidactic pursuits, experiences that would later shape his economic theories. After trying his luck as a sailor and prospector during the California Gold Rush, he witnessed firsthand the peculiar phenomenon of increasing land values leading to greater wealth inequality—a observation that would become the cornerstone of his economic philosophy. His first documented writings on economic matters appeared in the San Francisco Times, where he worked as a typesetter and journalist in the 1860s.
George's most enduring contribution to economic thought is the concept of the "single tax" (now known as land value taxation), which proposed that governments should derive their revenue primarily from taxes on land values rather than from labor or capital. This idea attracted followers worldwide, including Leo Tolstoy, Sun Yat-sen, and even Winston Churchill, spawning a movement known as "Georgism." His theories challenged traditional notions of property rights and offered an alternative to both capitalism and socialism, gaining particular resonance during the Gilded Age's stark inequalities.
The legacy of Henry George persists in unexpected ways: his ideas influenced the game Monopoly (originally called "The Landlord's Game"), modern urban planning principles, and contemporary discussions about wealth inequality and natural resource management. Several communities worldwide have implemented variants of his land value taxation system, while the Henry George School of Social Science continues to promote his teachings. In an era of rising wealth concentration and urban housing crises, George's fundamental question—who should benefit from society's collective progress?—remains hauntingly relevant, inviting new generations to explore his radical yet pragmatic solutions to economic inequality.