The Single Tax and Progressive Education: Marietta Johnson and the School of Organic Education

ABSTRACT An active single tax movement that sought to put Henry George's economic theories into practice, thrived in the 60 years following the publication of George's treatise, Progress and Poverty (1879). The movement attracted individuals from a wide range of intellectual and religious backgrounds united in their belief that economic and social inequalities stemmed from the private ownership and exploitation of land and natural resources. The study of movements usually focuses on national leaders and the intellectual foundations and movement structures that enable large numbers of people to work together. But movements that reach the scale of 10s of 1000s of followers require many layers of leadership at the regional and local levels. Unlike the top leaders, who may focus exclusively on the movement and its goals, the leaders who emerge from rank‐and‐file membership often combine movement goals with other interests and activities. This article is about Marietta Johnson, one such mid‐level leader who was also an education activist.