Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 09: Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Reformers

In Short

This volume collects vivid biographical essays examining pivotal historical figures who challenged prevailing dogmas to reshape human society. Elbert Hubbard traces the lives, personal struggles, and intellectual legacies of diverse leaders, including religious pioneer John Wesley, economic theorist Henry George, revolutionary pamphleteer Thomas Paine, Italian patriot Garibaldi, and educational philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Combining historical narrative with sharp moral commentary, the book illustrates how social progress springs from individuals willing to defy established authority. It endures as an engaging, accessible study of human conviction, showing how personal character and raw determination drive the long march toward civil liberty, rational thought, and social reform.

The Story

The book opens with an exploration of John Wesley and the rise of Methodism. Born as the fifteenth child in an extraordinarily disciplined household managed by his capable mother, Susanna, Wesley grows up to challenge the cold, formal religious practices of eighteenth-century England. Facing locked church doors and fierce hostility from the established clergy, he takes his ministry directly to the common people, riding thousands of miles on horseback to preach a living, emotional faith. Hubbard demonstrates how Wesley’s tireless zeal and pragmatic organization create a movement that fundamentally alters the fabric of modern Christianity, while his brother Charles captures its spirit in thousands of enduring hymns.

Turning from spiritual renewal to political and economic liberation, the narrative examines thinkers who tackled the material conditions of humanity. Henry George rises from a modest Philadelphia upbringing and early sea voyages to become a sharp critic of industrial inequality. Setting type as a young printer and studying late into the night, George formulates his economic theories on land ownership and human rights, arguing that genuine progress cannot exist alongside urban poverty. Hubbard chronicles George’s literary triumph with Progress and Poverty, while mourning how the chaotic world of practical politics eventually consumed and exhausted the brilliant theorist. In a similar vein of public advocacy, the text surveys the life of John Bright, who emerged from a Quaker manufacturing family to champion the repeal of oppressive trade laws and elevate the ethical standard of English business and statecraft.

The biographical scope expands into radical political action through the lives of Thomas Paine, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and Oliver Cromwell. Paine arrives in the American Colonies equipped with a fierce hatred of tyranny and proceeds to write the foundational texts that ignite the American Revolution and defend the French Republic. Garibaldi’s daring guerrilla tactics in South America and Italy showcase the power of unyielding patriotism and flexible strategy. Cromwell transforms from an untrained country gentleman into an unstoppable military leader whose disciplined Ironsides dismantle royal power in England.

Finally, the narrative investigates intellectual and social iconoclasts like John Calvin, Theodore Parker, Charles Bradlaugh, Anne Hutchinson, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Parker defies the Boston religious establishment by bringing radical, humanitarian theology to thousands in public theaters. Bradlaugh endures poverty, family estrangement, and parliamentary exclusion to establish the legal right of non-believers to affirm rather than swear religious oaths in government. Hutchinson challenges the rigid Massachusetts clergy with her "Covenant of Grace," while Rousseau, despite glaring personal hypocrisy in his early life, revolutionizes modern pedagogy and nature appreciation through writings that emphasize natural learning over pedantic coercion. Together, these lives demonstrate that reform is rarely comfortable, yet its champions permanently widen the boundaries of human freedom.

How It Unfolds

Spiritual awakening in a cold age John Wesley breaks away from the rigid formalities of the Church of England, taking his message of active faith to open fields and crowded towns. His mother Susanna’s rigorous discipline and his brother Charles’s prolific hymn-writing help forge a resilient, highly organized movement that reinvigorates modern Christianity despite widespread clerical opposition.

The printer's crusade against poverty Henry George transitions from a restless youth at sea and an apprenticeship at the printing press to become one of the world's most influential economic writers. He argues that human beings cannot thrive separated from the land, capturing global attention before being drawn into the damaging whirlwind of New York municipal politics.

Voices of revolution and political liberty Thomas Paine uses his blunt, powerful prose to rally American colonists against royal rule and later defends the French Revolution in the face of imprisonment and outrage. Meanwhile, in South America and Italy, Giuseppe Garibaldi executes brilliant Fabian military maneuvers, commanding deep loyalty from his troops while treating local populations with strict fairness.

Challenging the established order Theodore Parker fills Boston concert halls with sharp, humanitarian sermons that outrage orthodox leaders but draw massive crowds hungry for spiritual freedom. In England, Charles Bradlaugh suffers years of poverty and parliamentary expulsion before successfully legalizing non-religious affirmations in the House of Commons.

The legacy of radical ideas Anne Hutchinson defends individual spiritual conscience against the Puritan hierarchy in colonial New England, asserting that divine grace supersedes mechanical dogma. Decades later, Jean-Jacques Rousseau outlines a revolutionary approach to child-centered education and natural beauty, leaving behind concepts that shape modern pedagogy despite his own deeply flawed early life.

The People

• John Wesley: A tireless religious reformer who possesses an unyielding, resilient will. Locked out of traditional pulpits, he travels relentlessly on horseback to deliver direct, fervent sermons to the masses, ultimately founding Methodism and permanently influencing Christian practice.
• Henry George: A self-educated printer and economic theorist of remarkable intellectual clarity. He seeks to eradicate urban poverty through land reform, but his quiet analytical life is derailed when political allies drag him into the exhausting arena of city politics.
• Thomas Paine: An uncompromising English-born pamphleteer and mechanic. Driven by a passion for human rights, he produces influential books like Common Sense and The Rights of Man, risking his life and reputation to defend liberty in America and France.
• Giuseppe Garibaldi: A charismatic Italian military leader and master of opportunistic tactics. Whether commanding ships along South American shores or leading cavalry inland, he wins the devotion of his men through bravery, modest living, and fair treatment of civilians.
• Charles Bradlaugh: A tall, defiant secularist advocate who endures extreme poverty, military service, and public scorn. He fights for years against parliamentary exclusion, eventually securing the legal right for non-religious citizens to take their seats by solemn affirmation.
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau: A complex, controversial French philosopher whose early personal failings contrast sharply with his mature intellectual achievements. His writings launch modern educational theory, elevate nature study, and provide foundational concepts for political democracy.

In Its Own Voice

"Suddenly I thought, 'Can not God heal man or beast as He will?' Immediately my weariness and headache ceased; and my horse was no longer lame."

This entry from John Wesley’s journal illustrates the absolute, unwavering faith in direct divine intervention that sustained his exhausting open-air ministry across Britain.

"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

Thomas Paine wrote these fiery words in The Crisis to re-ignite the waning spirit of American soldiers during the darkest hours of the Revolutionary War.

"The central thought of Jean Jacques was that man is good by nature, and that society corrupts him."

Hubbard offers this simple summary to contextualize how Rousseau's philosophical foundation challenged traditional doctrines of inherent human depravity and reshaped eighteenth-century educational thought.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book explores how individual conscience asserts itself against rigid institutions. Hubbard argues that real human progress is rarely initiated by comfortable elites or established bureaucracies; instead, it is driven by stubborn outsiders willing to suffer ostracism, poverty, or prosecution for their ideals. The narrative repeatedly contrasts the static nature of formal dogmas—whether in theology, economics, or government—with the dynamic energy of human empathy and independent thought.

Underneath the biographical sketches lies an argument for practical, everyday morality over abstract doctrine. Hubbard emphasizes that true reform must yield tangible benefits: honest commerce, humanely educated children, alleviated poverty, and expanded civil rights. He views humanity as an interconnected organism, asserting that no society can truly prosper while its most vulnerable members remain oppressed or neglected.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers who enjoy biographical history presented with warmth, narrative vigor, and personal conviction. Hubbard writes with a conversational clarity that strips away academic stiffness, making centuries-old theological and political debates feel remarkably immediate. His portraits do not present sterile icons; rather, he highlights the eccentricities, early mistakes, and human flaws of his subjects, creating a reading experience that is both instructive and deeply human.

Modern readers should be prepared for the book's mid-period style, which reflects early twentieth-century rhetorical flourishes and occasional sweeping historical generalizations. Hubbard frequently pauses his narratives to deliver direct philosophical musings or sharp commentary on his own era's social norms. Furthermore, the prose reflects period attitudes and references that reflect the time of its composition.

What remains compelling is the author's passionate belief in individual agency. The book inspires by showing how self-taught printers, field preachers, excluded politicians, and visionary writers managed to alter the course of history through sheer persistence. It leaves the reader with an enduring appreciation for the restless, defiant minds that built the foundations of modern freedom.