Evans, George Henry

One of the most prominent social reformers in American history and a newspaper editor, George Henry Evans dedicated his life to ameliorating the social and economic conditions of the American working class. He was born at Bromeyard, Hereford, England, on March 25, 1805, to George Evans and Sarah White, and immigrated to the United States in 1820. George’s younger brother was Frederick W. Evans, a 19th-century Shaker. George spent his early years as an apprentice to a printer.

The depression of 1819 created major upheaval in the United States with widespread business bankruptcies, increased unemployment, and pervasive pauperism. In this prevailing environment, Evans developed a radical social and political outlook. He moved to New York City in 1829, where he joined the radical labor movement and ...