Henry George, forgotten but not gone

1839 Henry George (d. October 29, 1897), American political economist, and the most influential proponent of the 'Single Tax' on land, perhaps best known for his book Progress and Poverty. Much like the modern Open Source movement, George was highly critical of restrictive patents and copyrights. He was one of the 19th Century's most popular public speakers in Australia, where he lectured for more than three months in 38 towns across the continent.

In 1886 George ran for mayor of New York, and polled second (ahead of Theodore Roosevelt). He ran again in 1897, but died 4 days before the election. An estimated 100,000 people attended his funeral.

According to his grand-daughter Agnes de Mille, Progress and Poverty and its successors made Henry George the third most famous man in the USA, behind only Mark Twain and Thomas Edison ...