Individualist anarchism in America of the late nineteenth century revolved around and was expressed through Liberty, a periodical published and edited by Benjamin R. Tucker from 1881 to 1908. It served as a conduit for foreign thought, particularly that of Proudhon and Spencer; it introduced Max Stirner and egoism to America;’ it was the forum for lengthy, high-caliber debate on issues such as children’s rights, intellectual property, natural rights and economics.
Because Liberty mirrored the controversies and the personalities of its time, and because its editor- Benjamin R. Tucker- was the most influential of the individualist anarchists, it is natural to use Liberty as a textbook of libertarian culture of the late nineteenth century.
