John Francis Bray
Encyclopedia
John Francis Bray was a radical, Chartist, writer on socialist economics and activist in both Britain and his
native America in the 19th century. He was hailed in later life as the 'Benjamin Franklin' of American labor.
family of farmers and clothiers around Huddersfield
. In 1822 they moved back to the West Riding
, to Leeds
. But their initial plans were stymied when his father died shortly after their return. Young John was then lodged with a relative and was apprenticed into the printing trade around the West Riding. He moved back to Leeds in 1832 and worked on a local paper and became involved in the working class movement in Leeds, including the Chartist Movement, then growing in Leeds around Feargus O'Connor
's Northern Star
. He also helped to found the Leeds Working Men's Association in 1837 and became its first treasurer. He delivered a number of lectures to the membership from which his first pamphlet "Labour's wrongs and labour's remedy" was drawn.
Following the repression of the first wave of the Chartist movement in the wake of the abortive uprising attempts of 1839 and the economic depression of 1841 - 1842, Bray returned to the US in 1842 and became a printer in Detroit. He later moved to Pontiac
, Michigan
where he began a family and later moved from printing into farming on a nearby farm. During the 1850s and 1860s he was active in the Democratic and working class movement locally and throughout the midwest. He wrote articles and lectured around the midwest opposing a range of social ills from Spiritualism to the Civil War and slavery. He supported the Socialist Labor Party and joined the Knights of Labor
. As an old man he helped to shape the politics of the of the 1890s.
in his 1847 attack on Proudhon,
The Poverty of Philosophy
. In it Marx uses him to show the unoriginality of Proudhon's mutualist
proposals. Indeed Bray's economics are those that
have somewhat controversially (see Noel Thompson reference) been ascribed to the Ricardian socialists
. In short a belief that the
source of employers profits is an unequal exchange with employees in which the latter is not paid the full value of their labour. The remedy then is
based on creating a society of equal exchange between producers at fair value. Bray's ideas in this sense are in the tradition of market socialism
.
native America in the 19th century. He was hailed in later life as the 'Benjamin Franklin' of American labor.
Life
John Bray was born in Washington in the USA to parents who were in show business. His father had been born into a YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
family of farmers and clothiers around Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
. In 1822 they moved back to the West Riding
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
, to Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. But their initial plans were stymied when his father died shortly after their return. Young John was then lodged with a relative and was apprenticed into the printing trade around the West Riding. He moved back to Leeds in 1832 and worked on a local paper and became involved in the working class movement in Leeds, including the Chartist Movement, then growing in Leeds around Feargus O'Connor
Feargus O'Connor
Feargus Edward O'Connor was an Irish Chartist leader and advocate of the Land Plan.- Background :Feargus O'Connor was born into a prominent Irish Protestant family, the son of Irish Nationalist politician Roger O'Connor...
's Northern Star
Northern Star (chartist newspaper)
The Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser was a chartist newspaper published in the United Kingdom between 1837 and 1852.-Foundation:Feargus O'Connor, a former Irish MP forging a career in English radical politics, decided to establish a weekly newspaper in 1837...
. He also helped to found the Leeds Working Men's Association in 1837 and became its first treasurer. He delivered a number of lectures to the membership from which his first pamphlet "Labour's wrongs and labour's remedy" was drawn.
Following the repression of the first wave of the Chartist movement in the wake of the abortive uprising attempts of 1839 and the economic depression of 1841 - 1842, Bray returned to the US in 1842 and became a printer in Detroit. He later moved to Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
where he began a family and later moved from printing into farming on a nearby farm. During the 1850s and 1860s he was active in the Democratic and working class movement locally and throughout the midwest. He wrote articles and lectured around the midwest opposing a range of social ills from Spiritualism to the Civil War and slavery. He supported the Socialist Labor Party and joined the Knights of Labor
Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations of the 1880s. Its most important leader was Terence Powderly...
. As an old man he helped to shape the politics of the of the 1890s.
Ideas and influence
Bray's pamphlet "Labour's wrongs and labour's remedy" is quoted at length by Karl MarxKarl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
in his 1847 attack on Proudhon,
The Poverty of Philosophy
The Poverty of Philosophy
Misère de la philosophie, German title Das Elend der Philosophie, English title The Poverty of Philosophy, is a book by Karl Marx published in Paris and Brussels in 1847, where he lived in exile in 1843-1849...
. In it Marx uses him to show the unoriginality of Proudhon's mutualist
Mutualism (economic theory)
Mutualism is an anarchist school of thought that originates in the writings of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, who envisioned a society where each person might possess a means of production, either individually or collectively, with trade representing equivalent amounts of labor in the free market...
proposals. Indeed Bray's economics are those that
have somewhat controversially (see Noel Thompson reference) been ascribed to the Ricardian socialists
Ricardian socialism
Ricardian socialism refers to a branch of socialist economic thought based upon the work of economist David Ricardo. The Ricardian socialists reasoned that the free-market was the route to socialism, and that rent, profit and interest were not natural outgrowths of the free-market...
. In short a belief that the
source of employers profits is an unequal exchange with employees in which the latter is not paid the full value of their labour. The remedy then is
based on creating a society of equal exchange between producers at fair value. Bray's ideas in this sense are in the tradition of market socialism
Market socialism
Market socialism refers to various economic systems where the means of production are either publicly owned or cooperatively owned and operated for a profit in a market economy. The profit generated by the firms system would be used to directly remunerate employees or would be the source of public...
.
External links
- Chartists in Leeds - home of the Northern Star and civic Chartism
- Catalogue of the papers of John Francis Bray held at LSE Archives
See also
- ChartismChartismChartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
- Market SocialismMarket socialismMarket socialism refers to various economic systems where the means of production are either publicly owned or cooperatively owned and operated for a profit in a market economy. The profit generated by the firms system would be used to directly remunerate employees or would be the source of public...
- MutualismMutualism (economic theory)Mutualism is an anarchist school of thought that originates in the writings of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, who envisioned a society where each person might possess a means of production, either individually or collectively, with trade representing equivalent amounts of labor in the free market...
- OwenismOwenismOwenism is the utopian socialist philosophy of 19th century social reformer Robert Owen and his followers and successors, who are known as Owenites....
- Ricardian socialismRicardian socialismRicardian socialism refers to a branch of socialist economic thought based upon the work of economist David Ricardo. The Ricardian socialists reasoned that the free-market was the route to socialism, and that rent, profit and interest were not natural outgrowths of the free-market...