The Crime of Caste in Our Country

"The Crime of Caste in Our Country" by Benjamin Rush Davenport is a passionate examination of social inequality in late 19th-century America. Davenport argues that a dangerous 'caste' system is forming, betraying the nation's ideals of equality, and he highlights the resentment brewing among ordinary Americans facing increasing class divisions. He analyzes the 1892 elections as a powerful rejection of this sham aristocracy, fueled by the people's desire for a society where worth and integrity, instead of money and status, determine a person's value. Davenport connects current issues to historical class struggles, painting a portrait of a nation grappling with the threat of social stratification.