Edward Bellamy (March 26, 1850 – May 22, 1898) was an American author, journalist, and political activist most famous for his

utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', describing a fictional ...

n novel ''

Looking Backward ''Looking Backward: 2000–1887'' is a utopian science fiction novel by Edward Bellamy, a journalist and writer from Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts; it was first published in 1888. The book was translated into several languages, and in short o ...

''. Bellamy's vision of a harmonious future world inspired the formation of numerous "

Nationalist Clubs Nationalist Clubs were an organized network of socialist political groups which emerged at the end of the 1880s in the United States of America in an effort to make real the ideas advanced by Edward Bellamy in his utopian novel ''Looking Backw ...

" dedicated to the propagation of his political ideas. After working as a journalist and writing several unremarkable novels, Bellamy published ''Looking Backward'' in 1888. It was one of the most commercially successful books published in the United States in the 19th century, and it especially appealed to a generation of intellectuals alienated from the alleged dark side of the

Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Weste ...

. In the early 1890s, Bellamy established a newspaper known as ''

The New Nation ''New Nation'' was a weekly newspaper published in the UK for the Black British community. Launched in 1996, the newspaper was Britain's Number 1-selling black newspaper. The paper was published every Monday. ''New Nation'' was initially lau ...

'' and began to promote united action between the various Nationalist Clubs and the emerging Populist Party. He published ''

Equality Equality may refer to: Society * Political equality, in which all members of a society are of equal standing ** Consociationalism, in which an ethnically, religiously, or linguistically divided state functions by cooperation of each group's elit ...

'', a sequel to ''Looking Backward'', in 1897, and died the following year.

Biography

Early years

Edward Bellamy was born in

Chicopee, Massachusetts Chicopee ( ) is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city in Western Massachusetts after Springfield. ...

. His father was Rufus King Bellamy (1816–1886), a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

minister and a descendant of

Joseph Bellamy Joseph Bellamy (20 February 1719 – 6 March 1790) was an American Congregationalist pastor and a leading preacher, author, educator and theologian in New England in the second half of the 18th century. He was a disciple of Jonathan Edwards, and ...

.Howard Quint, ''The Forging of American Socialism: Origins of the Modern Movement: The Impact of Socialism on American Thought and Action, 1886–1901.'' Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1953; p. 74. His mother, Maria Louisa Putnam Bellamy, was a Calvinist. She was the daughter of a Baptist minister named Benjamin Putnam, who was forced to withdraw from the ministry in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

, following objections to his becoming a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. Bellamy attended public school at Chicopee Falls before leaving for

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

Schenectady, New York Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

, where he studied for just two semesters. Upon leaving school, he made his way to Europe for a year, spending extensive time in Germany. He briefly studied law but abandoned that field without ever having practiced as a lawyer, instead entering the world of journalism. In this capacity Bellamy briefly served on the staff of the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'' before returning to his native Massachusetts to take a position at the ''Springfield Union''. At the age of 25, Bellamy developed

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

, the disease that would ultimately kill him. He suffered with its effects throughout his adult life. In an effort to regain his health, Bellamy spent a year in the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

(1877 to 1878). Returning to the United States, he decided to abandon the daily grind of journalism in favor of literary work, which put fewer demands upon his time and his health. Bellamy married Emma Augusta Sanderson in 1882. The couple had two children.

Literary career

Bellamy's early novels, including ''Six to One'' (1878), ''

Dr. Heidenhoff's Process ''Dr. Heidenhoff's Process'' is an early novel by American author Edward Bellamy Edward Bellamy (March 26, 1850 – May 22, 1898) was an American author, journalist, and political activist most famous for his utopian novel ''Looking Backward ...

'' (1880), and ''Miss Ludington's Sister'' (1885), were unremarkable works, making use of standard psychological plots. A turn to utopian science fiction with '' Looking Backward, 2000–1887,'' published in January 1888, captured the public imagination and catapulted Bellamy to literary fame. Its publisher could scarcely keep up with demand. Within a year it had sold some 200,000 copies, and by the end of the 19th century had sold more copies than any other book published in America up to that time except for ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U. ...

'' by

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...

and '' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'' by

Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...

. The book gained an extensive readership in the United Kingdom as well, more than 235,000 copies being sold there between 1890 and 1935.Bowman, ''The Year 2000'', p. 121. In ''Looking Backward'', a non-violent revolution had transformed the American economy and thereby society;

private property Private property is a legal designation for the ownership of property by non-governmental legal entities. Private property is distinguishable from public property and personal property, which is owned by a state entity, and from collective or ...

had been abolished in favor of

state ownership State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public ownershi ...

of capital and the elimination of social classes and the ills of society that he thought inevitably followed from them.Franklin Rosemont, "Edward Bellamy (1850–98)," in

Mari Jo Buhle Mari Jo Buhle (born 1943) is an American historian and William J. Kenan Jr. University Professor Emerita at Brown University. Early life and education Buhle was born in 1943 as Mari Jo Kupski. She graduated from North Chicago Community High S ...

Paul Buhle Paul Merlyn Buhle (born September 27, 1944) is a (retired) Senior Lecturer at Brown University, author or editor of 35 volumes including histories of radicalism in the United States and the Caribbean, studies of popular culture, and a series ...

, and

Dan Georgakas Dan Georgakas ( el, Νταν Γεωργακάς; 1938–2021) was an American anarchist poet and historian, who specialized in oral history and the American labor movement, best known for the publication ''Detroit: I do mind dying: A study in u ...

(eds.), ''Encyclopedia of the American Left.'' First Edition. New York: Garland Publishing, 1990; p. 80. In the new world of the year 2000, there was no longer war, poverty, crime, prostitution, corruption, money, or

taxes A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or ...

. Neither did there exist such occupations seen by Bellamy as of dubious worth to society, such as politicians, lawyers, merchants, or soldiers. Instead, Bellamy's utopian society of the future was based upon the voluntary employment of all citizens between the ages of 21 and 45, after which time all would retire. Work was simple, aided by machine production, working hours short and vacation time long. The new economic basis of society effectively remade

human nature Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...

itself in Bellamy's idyllic vision, with greed, maliciousness, untruthfulness, and insanity all relegated to the past.

Bellamyite movement

Bellamy's book inspired legions of inspired readers to establish so-called

, beginning in Boston late in 1888.William D.P. Bliss and Rudolph M. Binder (eds.), ''The New Encyclopedia of Social Reform.'' New Edition. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1908; pp. 810–812. His vision of a country relieved of its social ills through abandonment of the principle of competition and establishment of state ownership of industry proved an appealing panacea to a generation of intellectuals alienated from the dark side of

America. By 1891 it was reported that no fewer than 162 Nationalist Clubs were in existence.Morris Hillquit, ''History of Socialism in the United States.'' Fifth Revised and Enlarged Edition. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1910; p. 289. Bellamy's use of the term "Nationalism" rather than "socialism" as a descriptor of his governmental vision was calculated, as he did not want to limit either sales of his novel or the potential influence of its political ideas.Sylvia E. Bowman, ''The Year 2000: A Critical Biography of Edward Bellamy.'' New York: Bookman Associates, 1958; p. 114. In an 1888 letter to literary critic

William Dean Howells William Dean Howells (; March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor of ''The Atlantic Monthly'', ...

, Bellamy wrote: Bellamy himself came to actively participate in the political movement which emerged around his book, particularly after 1891 when he founded his own magazine, ''

,'' and began to promote united action between the various Nationalist Clubs and the emerging People's Party. For the next three and a half years, Bellamy gave his all to politics, publishing his magazine, working to influence the platform of the People's Party, and publicizing the Nationalist movement in the popular press. This phase of his life came to an end in 1894, when ''The New Nation'' was forced to suspend publication owing to financial difficulties. With the key activists of the Nationalist Clubs largely absorbed into the apparatus of the People's Party (although a Nationalist Party did run three candidates for office in

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

as late as 1896), Bellamy abandoned politics for a return to literature. He set to work on a sequel to ''Looking Backward'' titled ''

,'' attempting to deal with the ideal society of the post-revolutionary future in greater detail. In this final work, he addressed the question of

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

, dealing with the taboo subject of female

reproductive rights Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows: Reproductive rights rest on t ...

in a future, post-revolutionary America.Rosemont, "Edward Bellamy (1850–1898)," p. 82. Other subjects overlooked in ''Looking Backward,'' such as

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...

and wilderness preservation, were dealt with in a similar context. The book saw print in 1897 and would prove to be Bellamy's final creation. Several short stories of Bellamy's were published in 1898, and ''The Duke of Stockbridge; a Romance of Shays' Rebellion'' was published in 1900.

Death and legacy

Edward Bellamy died of tuberculosis in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. He was 48 years old. His lifelong home in Chicopee Falls, built by his father,A Noted Writer's Abode: The Home of Edward Bellamy at Chicopee Falls, Mass.
, ''Harrisburg A''The Daily Telegraph'','' July 19, 1890, p. 4. was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1971.Edward Bellamy House: National Historic Landmark summary listing
, National Park Service, tps.cr.nps.gov/ Bellamy was the cousin of

Francis Bellamy Francis Julius Bellamy (May 18, 1855 – August 28, 1931) was an American Christian socialist Baptist minister and author. He is best known for writing the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892. Early life Francis Julius Bellamy ...

, famous for creation of the

Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America. The first version, with a text different from the one used ...

Bellamy Road The Bellamy Road was the first major U.S. federal highway in early territorial Florida. Land travel and transportation in Florida prior to its acquisition by the United States was by foot over trails. The Spanish used existing Native American ...

, a residential road in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, is named for the author.

Published works

Novels

*''Six to One'' (1878) *''

'' (1880) *''Miss Ludington's Sister'' (1885) *'' Looking Backward, 2000–1887'' (1888) *''

'' (1897) *''The Duke of Stockbridge; a Romance of Shays' Rebellion'' (1900)

Short stories

*"At Pinney's Ranch" *"The Blindman's World" *"Deserted" *"An Echo Of Antietam" *"Hooking Watermelons" *"Lost" *"A Love Story Reversed" *"The Old Folks' Party" *"A Positive Romance" *"Potts's Painless Cure" *"A Summer Evening's Dream" *"

To Whom This May Come To Whom This May Come is an 1889 short story by American author Edward Bellamy Edward Bellamy (March 26, 1850 – May 22, 1898) was an American author, journalist, and political activist most famous for his utopian novel ''Looking Backward ...

" *"Two Days' Solitary Imprisonment" *"With The Eyes Shut"

References

Bibliography

''Six to One: A Nantucket Idyl.''
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1878.
''Dr. Heidenhoff's Process.''
London: William Reeves, 1880.
Miss Ludington's Sister: A Romance of Immorality.
Boston: James R. Osgoode and Co., 1885.
''Looking Backward, 2000–1887.''
Boston: Houghton, Mifflin Co., 1889.
"How I Came to Write ''Looking Backward"''
'' The Nationalist'' (Boston), vol. 1, no. 1 (May 1889), pp. 1–4.
''Plutocracy or Nationalism – Which?''

''Principles and Purposes of Nationalism: Edward Bellamy's Address at Tremont Temple, Boston, on the Nationalist Club's First Anniversary, Dec. 19, 1889.''
Philadelphia: Bureau of Nationalist Literature, n.d.

890 __NOTOC__ Year 890 ( DCCCXC) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * The Frankish nobles, who have ruled Provence in anarchy (since 887), declare L ...

''The Programme of the Nationalists.''
Philadelphia: Bureau of Nationalist Literature, 1894. —First published in ''The Forum,'' March 1894.
''Equality.''
New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1898.
''The Blindman's World and Other Stories.''
William Dean Howells, intro. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 1898.
''The Duke of Stockbridge: A Romance of Shays' Rebellion.''
New York: Silver, Burdett and Co., 1900. * ''Edward Bellamy: Selected Writings on Religion and Society.'' Joseph Schiffman (ed.) New York: Liberal Arts Press, 1955. * ''Apparitions of Things to Come: Edward Bellamy's Tales of Mystery & Imagination.'' Franklin Rosemont, ed. Chicago: Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company, 1990.

External links

* *

at marxists.org * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bellamy, Edward 1850 births 1898 deaths People from Chicopee, Massachusetts 19th-century American novelists Bellamyism American Christian socialists American democratic socialists American science fiction writers 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Union College (New York) alumni Tuberculosis deaths in Massachusetts American male novelists 19th-century American male writers Authors of utopian literature Literature critical of work and the work ethic