The Crime Of Poverty In The Gilded Age
During a span form the 1870’s to 1900 our nation saw and unprecedented amount of
industrial, economic, and population growth. Given the name of Gilded Age by Mark Twain he
noted that our nation was gleaming on the outside, but below the surface there lies much
corruption. The “Crime of Poverty” by Henry George was a famous address to the public. The
crime he speaks of was of those suffering from poverty, and were forced into those dire
conditions by circumstances beyond their control. In the paragraphs to follow I will give
examples from various authors such as George, Bellamy, and Zinn explaining why poverty was a
crime. Lastly I will explain how poverty remains even in today’s age an atrocity.
In 1839 a man named Henry George …show more content…
He portrays to the audience why poverty should
be seen as a crime no that of one person, but the fault of everyone collectively. He tells a story of
a man who wished to become a member of the Christian Church, but due to is unethical way of
making a living was forced to remain outside of the Christian community. This business he held
was of selling soap, but a soap of such chemicals that would later lead to the degradation of one’s
clothes ("The Crime of Poverty by Henry George." The Crime of Poverty by Henry George. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2015.) George alludes to the fact that the man has lost his soul, but under what
conditions? He alludes to the fact that the man selling soap was forced to do such in order to
survive. Thus proving his point that folks pushed into poverty are then forced into trying
situations that can lead to criminal actions. George’s talk was most notably famous for his take on
land, and the fact that man is selling part of the earth from which we all share.To quote George “
Why consider it, the idea of a man’s selling the earth – the earth, our common mother. A man
selling that which no man produced – a man passing title from one generation another. Why, it
industrial, economic, and population growth. Given the name of Gilded Age by Mark Twain he
noted that our nation was gleaming on the outside, but below the surface there lies much
corruption. The “Crime of Poverty” by Henry George was a famous address to the public. The
crime he speaks of was of those suffering from poverty, and were forced into those dire
conditions by circumstances beyond their control. In the paragraphs to follow I will give
examples from various authors such as George, Bellamy, and Zinn explaining why poverty was a
crime. Lastly I will explain how poverty remains even in today’s age an atrocity.
In 1839 a man named Henry George …show more content…
He portrays to the audience why poverty should
be seen as a crime no that of one person, but the fault of everyone collectively. He tells a story of
a man who wished to become a member of the Christian Church, but due to is unethical way of
making a living was forced to remain outside of the Christian community. This business he held
was of selling soap, but a soap of such chemicals that would later lead to the degradation of one’s
clothes ("The Crime of Poverty by Henry George." The Crime of Poverty by Henry George. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2015.) George alludes to the fact that the man has lost his soul, but under what
conditions? He alludes to the fact that the man selling soap was forced to do such in order to
survive. Thus proving his point that folks pushed into poverty are then forced into trying
situations that can lead to criminal actions. George’s talk was most notably famous for his take on
land, and the fact that man is selling part of the earth from which we all share.To quote George “
Why consider it, the idea of a man’s selling the earth – the earth, our common mother. A man
selling that which no man produced – a man passing title from one generation another. Why, it