Rose Wilder Lane’s Followers (193)

Rose Wilder Lane

Born

in De Smet, Dakota Territory, The United States

December 05, 1886

Died

October 30, 1968

Genre

Political Theorist, Nonfiction, Literature & Fiction

Influences

Isabel Paterson, Laura Ingalls Wilder ...more

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Rose Wilder Lane was an American writer, journalist, and political thinker whose work ranged from fiction to biography and social commentary, and who became an influential advocate of individual liberty in the twentieth century. Born to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder, she grew up amid financial hardship and frequent moves before her family settled in Missouri, experiences that later informed both her own writing and her collaboration with her mother. As the only surviving child, she developed independence early, shaped by a frontier environment that demanded resilience, adaptability, and self-reliance in daily life and work. After completing her schooling, she worked as a telegrapher in several states, gaining practical skills and Rose Wilder Lane was an American writer, journalist, and political thinker whose work ranged from fiction to biography and social commentary, and who became an influential advocate of individual liberty in the twentieth century. Born to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder, she grew up amid financial hardship and frequent moves before her family settled in Missouri, experiences that later informed both her own writing and her collaboration with her mother. As the only surviving child, she developed independence early, shaped by a frontier environment that demanded resilience, adaptability, and self-reliance in daily life and work. After completing her schooling, she worked as a telegrapher in several states, gaining practical skills and financial independence while educating herself through extensive reading and study. Her early marriage to Claire Gillette Lane was marked by instability and ended in divorce, a turning point that pushed her toward a more focused literary career and personal autonomy. She gained recognition as a journalist and editor in San Francisco, where her talent for storytelling and observation quickly brought her professional attention and opportunities. Transitioning to freelance writing, she published short stories and articles in major American magazines, building a reputation for clear, engaging prose and strong narrative voice across different genres and audiences. Her novels, including Let the Hurricane Roar and Free Land, explored pioneer life and drew heavily on her family’s experiences, blending historical detail with fictional storytelling in a compelling and accessible manner. Lane also played a significant role in shaping and editing her mother’s Little House series, helping transform early drafts into widely successful books that reached generations of readers worldwide. Alongside her literary career, she developed a strong interest in political philosophy, becoming associated with the libertarian movement and emphasizing individual freedom, limited government, and personal responsibility as core principles. Her book The Discovery of Freedom articulated many of these ideas and became a key text in libertarian thought and discourse. Lane traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, often working with humanitarian organizations and observing social and political conditions firsthand in diverse cultural contexts. She maintained a wide network of intellectual and literary contacts, engaging with prominent writers, thinkers, and public figures of her time in ongoing dialogue and exchange of ideas. Known for her independence and strong convictions, she often chose a simple, self-sufficient lifestyle despite periods of financial success and public recognition. In her later years, she continued writing, lecturing, and mentoring younger thinkers, remaining an active and sometimes controversial voice in debates about freedom, society, and the role of the individual in modern life. ...more

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Rose Wilder Lane’s books

Average rating: 4.05 · 10,005 ratings · 611 reviews · 41 distinct works • Similar authors

	Young Pioneers by Rose Wilder Lane, Dan Andreasen (Illustrator) 3.96 avg rating — 4,001 ratings — published 1932 — 64 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Free Land 3.81 avg rating — 334 ratings — published 1938 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Discovery of Freedom: Man's Struggle Against Authority 4.13 avg rating — 291 ratings — published 1943 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rose Wilder Lane: Her Story by Rose Wilder Lane, Roger Lea MacBride 3.80 avg rating — 292 ratings — published 1977 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Charlie Chaplin's Own Story 3.89 avg rating — 235 ratings — published 1916 — 37 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Old Home Town 3.93 avg rating — 185 ratings — published 1935 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Henry Ford's Own Story: How A Farmer Boy Rose To The Power That Goes With Many Millions, Yet Never Lost Touch With Humanity (1917) 3.87 avg rating — 156 ratings — published 1917 — 99 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Give Me Liberty 4.06 avg rating — 108 ratings — published 1936 — 21 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Travels With Zenobia: Paris to Albania by Model t Ford by Rose Wilder Lane, Helen Dore Boylston, William Holtz (Editor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 54 ratings — published 1983	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Woman's Day Book of American Needlework 4.19 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 1963 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Rose Wilder Lane (?)

“Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open.”
― Rose Wilder Lane

2439 likes

“Anyone who says that economic security is a human right, has been to much babied. While he babbles, other men are risking and losing their lives to protect him. They are fighting the sea, fighting the land, fighting disease and insects and weather and space and time, for him, while he chatters that all men have a right to security and that some pagan god—Society, The State, The Government, The Commune—must give it to them. Let the fighting men stop fighting this inhuman earth for one hour, and he will learn how much security there is.”
― Rose Wilder Lane

tags: economics, ethics, freedom, individual-rights, ownership, philosophy, politics, productivity, wealth

49 likes

“No state, no government exists. What does in fact exist is a man, or a few men, in power over many men.”
― Rose Wilder Lane

tags: anarchy, ancap, fascism, freedom, individualism, libertarian, liberty, mafia, philosophy, politics, state, statism, taxation, theft, tyranny, voluntaryism

29 likes

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Rose Wilder Lane’s Followers (193)

Rose Wilder Lane

Combine EditionsRose Wilder Lane’s books

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Rose Wilder Lane’s books