Lane, Rose Wilder (1886–1968)

Rose Wilder Lane was born in 1886, the first child of Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder; the latter was the author of the Little House on the Prairie series. Her parents would later become famous thanks to the book series, originally written by her mother and vastly reworked and edited by Lane herself. Whereas her mother was known for provincial tales of wilderness family life, Lane became famous as a sophisticated world traveler and outspoken divorcée. As a reporter, columnist, and author, Lane became interested in the issues of free trade and individual rights, especially as viewed against the backdrop of world events. She was one of several highly visible libertarian women writing in the first half of the 20th century.

After a pioneer upbringing that ...