History of the Conservative Movement, Part 8: Publishing and Mobilization

Gary North - May 15, 2021

Without serious scholarly books, the movement would not have advanced beyond an uninformed anti-Communism position.

I begin my presentation with the publication in 1949 of Ludwig von Mises' massive book, Human Action. It was published by Yale University Press, a major academic publisher. You can download the 1949 edition here.

Then in 1950 came Senator Joseph McCarthy. This began with a speech to the Ohio County Republican Women's Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, on February 9. McCarthy extended the conservative movement to the masses.

An ideological split between libertarian defenders of the free market and anti-Communists became increasingly visible from 1950 to 1955. The general public was unaware of this split, but it was understood by leaders in both camps, most notably Leonard E. Read of the Foundation for Economic Education and William F. Buckley, who founded National Review in 1955.

For the series, week by week, go here: https://www.garynorth.com/public/21954.cfm