This conclusion draws together the central themes of the book, laying out how George and the Irish Land War helped to further drive liberals, conservatives, and socialists towards an organicist utilitarian politics. It also offers a brief summary of the subsequent trajectory of the land question and some of its orientating politics in Ireland, Britain, and the Unitec States. The conclusion discusses why the late nineteenth century remains such a critical moment for contemporary discussion of liberalism and democracy.

This introductory chapter lays out the central importance of the interlocking influence of Henry George and the Irish Land War in animating a resurgent agrarianism in the 1880s, as well as the influence these political tendencies had on the trajectory of liberal political thought. It briefly explores the historiographical background of the late nineteenth century land question, particularly interpretations of the Irish Land War, and the uneasy place of Henry George in these narratives. The role of land in shaping Ireland’s distinctive political economy and its liminal place in the wider Anglophone world is also discussed. This introduction also assesses how the question of land can cut across the concerns of intellectual and social history in a way that enables connections to be made between popular attitudes and political thought, and explains how this methodological approach will be used. Finally, the chapter sets out the structure of the subsequent book.

The North Atlantic is best considered as an increasingly integrated economic and social region during the late nineteenth century, and this approach helps to clarify Ireland’s geopolitical place during the ideologically tumultuous 1880s. Using this framework, this chapter explores the place of Henry George and of the Irish Land War in this fractious period, detailing how technological and political developments reshaped long-standing assumptions. It explains how the Land War became an international event, with significance extending far beyond Ireland itself. The chapter also recounts George’s intellectual biography, setting the scene for the development of his most famous work, Progress and Poverty. The reaction to this book is assessed, particularly the most common arguments made by critics, and the ways in which these critiques developed commonalities across the political spectrum.