author
John P. (John Percival) Jones
1829–1912
A silver-mining millionaire turned long-serving U.S. senator, he helped shape debates over money and mining in the American West. He is also remembered as a co-founder of Santa Monica, linking his name to both politics and California history.
1 Audiobook
Money: Speech of Hon. John P. Jones, of Nevada, on the Free Coinage of Silver; in the United States Senate, May 12 and 13, 1890
by John P. (John Percival) Jones
About the author
Born in Herefordshire, England, in 1829, John Percival Jones came to the United States as an infant and grew up in Ohio. He later moved west, worked in California, and built his fortune in Nevada silver mining, especially through the Crown Point mine on the Comstock Lode.
Jones went on to serve Nevada in the U.S. Senate for 30 years, from 1873 to 1903. He became especially known for his strong support of silver and for speeches and pamphlets on money, coinage, and economic policy—the works most likely to bring him to modern readers and listeners.
Outside the Senate, he played an important role in the early development of Santa Monica, California, which he co-founded. His life joined frontier mining wealth, national politics, and the big financial arguments of the late 19th century, giving his writing a direct connection to the issues he fought over in public life.