author
William Manning
An unschooled New England farmer and Revolutionary War veteran, William Manning became an unexpectedly sharp voice for ordinary Americans. His late-eighteenth-century writings challenged concentrated wealth and political power, anticipating later debates about democracy and economic equality.
1 Audiobook
A Child's Dream of the Zoo
by William Manning
About the author
William Manning (1747–1814) was an American farmer, foot soldier, and self-educated political writer from Billerica, Massachusetts. After serving during the American Revolution, he returned to rural life and developed a deep interest in the relationship between government, property, labor, and political power.
Manning is best known for The Key of Liberty, written in the late 1790s. In it, he described a struggle between the wealthy “Few” and the working “Many,” arguing that ordinary citizens needed stronger political influence and fair representation. His writings were not published during his lifetime and were rediscovered more than a century later, leading to the 1993 collection The Key of Liberty: The Life and Democratic Writings of William Manning, “A Laborer,” 1747–1814.