Paterson, Isabel
1886—1961
Place of Birth: Manitoulin Island, Canada
Place of Principal Residence: Princeton, NJ
Biography:
Isabel Paterson was born in rural Ontario in 1886, but her family emigrated to a rural farm in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan. She became a United States citizen in 1928. Her family was quite poor and she had 8 siblings. Paterson worked as a waitress, stenographer, and a bookkeeper during her childhood. Although she only received 2 years of country schooling, she taught herself to be quite a good reader. Paterson eventually became known as one of the three founding mothers of American libertarianism, along with Rose Wilder Lane and Ayn Rand. Early on she wrote for newspapers called The World and the American in New York and put out two western novels. Subsequently, Paterson wrote for the Herald Tribune, and penned three historical novels. She wrapped up her writing career with three more novels, one of which was the libertarianism-guided The God of the Machine. Paterson continued to write until her death in 1961.
Selected Works:
- The Magpie’s Nest (1913)
- The Shadow Riders (1913)
- The Singing Season (1924)
- Never Ask the End (1933)
- The God of the Machine (1943)
Critical Reception
Paterson’s unfashionable political views and her book The God of the Machine led to her being fired by Herald Tribune. However, many libertarians see the book as being the foundation of their philosophy.