The book discusses the issue of inequality in America and how it manifested in various periods. Each chapter not only provides a full survey of the secondary literature related to the topic of inequality in the particular time period but also examines prescriptions from thinkers who espoused equality, including Thomas Paine, Thomas Skidmore, Henry George, Jane Addams, Upton Sinclair, and Harry Caudill. By assessing these and other arguments relevant to social change, this book helps readers understand the cases made for and against equality of opportunity and condition throughout U.S. history.