Editing Edward Bellamy (section)

==Bellamyite movement==

Bellamy's book inspired legions of readers to establish so-called [[Nationalist Clubs]], beginning in Boston late in 1888.<ref name=Bliss>William D.P. Bliss and Rudolph M. Binder (eds.), ''The New Encyclopedia of Social Reform.'' New Edition. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1908; pp. 810–812.</ref> His vision of a country relieved of its social ills through abandonment of the principle of competition and establishment of state ownership of industry proved an appealing panacea to a generation of intellectuals alienated from the dark side of [[Gilded Age]] America. By 1891 it was reported that no fewer than 162 Nationalist Clubs were in existence.<ref name=Hillquit289>Morris Hillquit, ''History of Socialism in the United States.'' Fifth Revised and Enlarged Edition. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1910; p. 289.</ref>

Bellamy's use of the term "Nationalism" rather than "socialism" as a descriptor of his governmental vision was calculated, as he did not want to limit either sales of his novel or the potential influence of its political ideas.<ref name=Bowman114>Sylvia E. Bowman, ''The Year 2000: A Critical Biography of Edward Bellamy.'' New York: Bookman Associates, 1958; p. 114.</ref> In an 1888 letter to literary critic [[William Dean Howells]], Bellamy wrote:

{{Blockquote|Every sensible man will admit there is a big deal in a name, especially in making first impressions. In the radicalness of the opinions I have expressed, I may seem to out-socialize the socialists, yet the word socialist is one I never could well stomach. In the first place it is a foreign word in itself, and equally foreign in all its suggestions. It smells to the average American of petroleum, suggests the red flag, and with all manner of sexual novelties, and an abusive tone about God and religion, which in this country we at least treat with respect. [...] [W]hatever German and French reformers may choose to call themselves, socialist is not a good name for a party to succeed with in America. No such party can or ought to succeed that is not wholly and enthusiastically American and patriotic in spirit and suggestions.<ref>Bellamy to Howells, June 17, 1888, quoted in Bowman, ''The Year 2000'', p. 114.</ref>}}

Bellamy himself came to actively participate in the political movement which emerged around his book, particularly after 1891 when he founded his own magazine, ''[[New Nation (United States)|The New Nation]],'' and began to promote united action between the various Nationalist Clubs and the emerging [[People's Party (United States)|People's Party]].<ref>Arthur Lipow, ''Authoritarian Socialism in America: Edward Bellamy and the Nationalist Movement.'' Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1982; p. 30.</ref> For the next three and a half years, Bellamy gave his all to politics, publishing his magazine, working to influence the platform of the People's Party, and publicizing the Nationalist movement in the popular press. This phase of his life came to an end in 1894, when ''The New Nation'' was forced to suspend publication owing to financial difficulties.<ref>Lipow, ''Authoritarian Socialism in America'', p. 31.</ref>

With the key activists of the Nationalist Clubs largely absorbed into the apparatus of the People's Party (although a Nationalist Party did run three candidates for office in [[Wisconsin]] as late as 1896<ref>{{cite web| url = http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1897| title = Casson, Henry, ed. ''The blue book of the state of Wisconsin 1897'' Madison, 1897; pp. 656, 657, 663}}</ref>), Bellamy abandoned politics for a return to literature. He set to work on a sequel to ''Looking Backward'' titled ''[[Equality (novel)|Equality]],'' attempting to deal with the ideal society of the post-revolutionary future in greater detail. In this final work, he addressed the question of [[feminism]], dealing with the taboo subject of female [[reproductive rights]] in a future, post-revolutionary America.<ref name=EAL82>Rosemont, "Edward Bellamy (1850–1898)," p. 82.</ref> Other subjects overlooked in ''Looking Backward,'' such as [[animal rights]] and [[Conservation movement|wilderness preservation]], were dealt with in a similar context.<ref name=EAL82 /> The book saw print in 1897 and would prove to be Bellamy's final creation.

Several short stories of Bellamy's were published in 1898, and ''The Duke of Stockbridge; a Romance of Shays' Rebellion'' was published in 1900.

===Death and legacy===

Edward Bellamy died of tuberculosis in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts ten years after the publication of his most famous book. He was 48 years old.

[[Edward Bellamy House|His lifelong home]] in Chicopee Falls, built by his father,<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3440239/a_noted_writers_abode_the_home_of/ A Noted Writer's Abode: The Home of Edward Bellamy at Chicopee Falls, Mass.]", ''Harrisburg [PA] ''The Daily Telegraph'','' July 19, 1890, p. 4.</ref> was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1971.<ref name="nhlsum">"[http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1070&ResourceType=Building Edward Bellamy House: National Historic Landmark summary listing]", National Park Service, tps.cr.nps.gov/ {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002123617/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1070&ResourceType=Building |date=October 2, 2012 }}</ref>

Bellamy was the cousin of [[Francis Bellamy]], famous for writing the original version of the [[Pledge of Allegiance (United States)|Pledge of Allegiance]].

[[List of north–south roads in Toronto#Bellamy Road|Bellamy Road]], a residential road in [[Toronto]], is named for the author.