Owen, Robert Dale, 1801-1877

Politician, reformer, and author Robert Dale Owen was born in Scotland; influenced by his father, he developed a strong interest in social reform. He moved to New Harmony, Indiana, where he joined the socialist community his father founded there, and he was active as an educator, editor, and author, including the first birth control pamphlet published in America. He next became active in politics, serving in the Indiana House of Representatives and later in the United States House, where he was a guiding force in founding the Smithsonian Institution. An influential thinker and writer on diverse complex issues, he was especially active in women's rights and the abolition of slavery. In his later years, he developed a belief in spiritualism.

From the description of Robert Dale Owen letters, 1845-1874. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 69933582