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1900; Or, The Last President
1900 or The Last President, originally published in 1896 by Ingersoll Lockwood, is a work of historical fiction which contemplates what would have happened if William Jennings Bryan had won the Presidency in the election of 1896.There are many parallels to present-day politics in this work of fiction. Some have even gone so far as to wonder if President Trump may have acquired a time machine and informed the original author. In addition to both Presidents winning a shocking electoral victory, some obvious parallels to President Trump's election win include a Fifth Avenue hotel in New York City, spontaneous protests, a member of the President's cabinet with the last name of Pence, Congressional conflicts with the President including a dramatic State of the Union address and more. This work has been carefully annotated to provide valuable historical context and interesting notes, which allows the reader to gain greater understanding of this work. For anyone who has heard the conspiracy theories, this work is essential reading to help the reader separate fact from fiction.
30 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1896
930 people are currently reading
1759 people want to read
About the author
Ingersoll Lockwood
91 books95 followersIngersoll Lockwood was an American lawyer and writer. As a writer, he is particularly known today for his Baron Trump children's novels. He wrote other children's novels, the dystopian novel 1900: or; The Last President, a play, and several non-fiction works. He wrote some of his non-fiction under the pseudonym Irwin Longman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
July 30, 2017
What a ride! The editor of this book was right in his foreword: this book is full of synchronism. They way the story developes is uncanny. The decline of good morals and a striving society feels like what the left is doing today around the world.
January 29, 2019
What a weird, hyperbolic little book. Definitely written by a lawyer. AND! The Secretary of Agriculture is named Pence! So, you know, time travel.
The weirdest thing about this book is that I think Tolkien must have read it because it also has a "Dawnless Day" that occurs in early March. Coincidences are fun.
Best read out loud with old-timey oratorical bombast.
The weirdest thing about this book is that I think Tolkien must have read it because it also has a "Dawnless Day" that occurs in early March. Coincidences are fun.
Best read out loud with old-timey oratorical bombast.
February 7, 2020
Yeah, um, nah
This short story has gained notoriety recently based solely on the fact of its title and the fact that the author also wrote of a character named Baron Trump.
The suggestion that this is somehow a vision of today's politics is utter poppycock.
It is simply a bunch of purple prose that seems to be partly a warning against going off the gold standard and partly a confederate revenge fantasy. I think. The writing is so pretentious, it's hard to tell what this book is on about.
The suggestion by the editor of this version that the author had some kind of occult insight into the future would only be valid if the story had even a passing similarity to modern events. It doesn't. Save your time.
This short story has gained notoriety recently based solely on the fact of its title and the fact that the author also wrote of a character named Baron Trump.
The suggestion that this is somehow a vision of today's politics is utter poppycock.
It is simply a bunch of purple prose that seems to be partly a warning against going off the gold standard and partly a confederate revenge fantasy. I think. The writing is so pretentious, it's hard to tell what this book is on about.
The suggestion by the editor of this version that the author had some kind of occult insight into the future would only be valid if the story had even a passing similarity to modern events. It doesn't. Save your time.
November 22, 2017
Alternate history published in 1896 and imagining a future (1898) election that put William Jennings Bryan in power, and he immediately took America off the gold standard. Prescient for those unhappy with the 2016 election; the issues are different but the turmoil seems similar--although I'm hoping there's not really dynamite in the Capitol dome, ready to go off. Interesting premise, filled with the rather florid prose of the time. John Pruden narrates and does a good job. An easy hour-plus distraction.
October 7, 2020
Wwg1wga time travel is the truth #maga
March 7, 2025
Concerning “The Last President” by Lockwood there is an amazing feat of prescience that you will not find remarked upon pretty much anywhere as the subject had largely been exhausted by the time that day in the book came about in our present day. People were enamored with all Q-oincidences and a possible link to time travel and Donald Trumps Uncle's connection to Nikola Tesla, the renowned MIT physicist and there was much chatter on the internet about it. But all this talk had happened before the President gave his first State of Union speech.
If you look at the last couple of pages in the book the last predictions are that the speaker of the house would cancel the State of the Union and then finally relent and allow it, after which the dome to the capital building would be exploded with dynamite at where somehow no one is hurt and a vote to dissolve the Union takes place. Story Ends.
Well, after everyone had finished trying prove or disprove all coincidences in the book, to include to say the book was fake (which they couldn’t, though the disambiguation pages on Wiki are strange in of themselves) and so on and had just moved on from the subject as if there was nothing further to see, the last freaky thing occurred like a large ocean liner coming out of the fog and may still be fresh in your memory. The speaker of the house did indeed cancel the State of the Union and then relented and allowed it. Just like in the book. Neat trick if you can pull that off. (sorry no explosion of the dome... maybe another time).
Note. Ingersoll Lockwood allegedly wrote this book (1900 – or the last president) in 1896. The first State of the Union was given in front of congress by President Wilson in 1913. A lesser neat trick.
A last and final thing on the Lockwood mystery’s. If one was to believe that Tesla actually had a time machine and I’m not saying that I do, then I’d point out that Lockwood’s brother Ralph Ingersoll Lockwood,was the preeminent authority on Bankruptcy laws in NY at the time. Might it make more sense that the bits of prescience you see in the Lockwood books might be derived more from the extra circular activities of someone with a more primary objective? Okay, idol minds and all, that’s crazy, maybe more another time.
New note 6/16/2023. Made mention of Ralph Lockwood, Ingersoll's brother. Wikipedia has now changed it to uncle and has stripped out many details to include in the edit histories from when I made this review. I'm not surprised.
Update 7 March 2025. Ralph wrote an essay entitled "Essay on a National Bankrupt Law" (1825) when Bankruptcy Laws were still in their infancy in the United States.
If you look at the last couple of pages in the book the last predictions are that the speaker of the house would cancel the State of the Union and then finally relent and allow it, after which the dome to the capital building would be exploded with dynamite at where somehow no one is hurt and a vote to dissolve the Union takes place. Story Ends.
Well, after everyone had finished trying prove or disprove all coincidences in the book, to include to say the book was fake (which they couldn’t, though the disambiguation pages on Wiki are strange in of themselves) and so on and had just moved on from the subject as if there was nothing further to see, the last freaky thing occurred like a large ocean liner coming out of the fog and may still be fresh in your memory. The speaker of the house did indeed cancel the State of the Union and then relented and allowed it. Just like in the book. Neat trick if you can pull that off. (sorry no explosion of the dome... maybe another time).
Note. Ingersoll Lockwood allegedly wrote this book (1900 – or the last president) in 1896. The first State of the Union was given in front of congress by President Wilson in 1913. A lesser neat trick.
A last and final thing on the Lockwood mystery’s. If one was to believe that Tesla actually had a time machine and I’m not saying that I do, then I’d point out that Lockwood’s brother Ralph Ingersoll Lockwood,was the preeminent authority on Bankruptcy laws in NY at the time. Might it make more sense that the bits of prescience you see in the Lockwood books might be derived more from the extra circular activities of someone with a more primary objective? Okay, idol minds and all, that’s crazy, maybe more another time.
New note 6/16/2023. Made mention of Ralph Lockwood, Ingersoll's brother. Wikipedia has now changed it to uncle and has stripped out many details to include in the edit histories from when I made this review. I'm not surprised.
Update 7 March 2025. Ralph wrote an essay entitled "Essay on a National Bankrupt Law" (1825) when Bankruptcy Laws were still in their infancy in the United States.
January 3, 2022
It was a short story about a socialist president bringing massive changes to the u.s. It had some predictive things about trump and biden’s terms as president:
About antifa:
“Mobs of vast size are organizing under the lead of Anarchists and Socialists, and threaten to plunder and despoil the houses of the rich who have wronged and oppressed them for so many years. Keep within doors.”
“Socialism and Anarchism found willing ears into which to pour their burning words of hatred and malevolence, and the consequence was that serious rioting broke out in the larger cities of the North, often taxing the capacities of the local authorities to the utmost.”
About the supposed insurrection:
“from a dozen different points in the South and North West “Coxey Armies” were forming for an advance on Washington. In some instances they were well clad and well provisioned; in others, they were little better than great bands of hungry and restless men”
“calling upon the Government to concentrate troops in and about Washington, and prepare for the suppression of a second Rebellion.”
About blm:
“The gathering crowds could plainly hear the plaintive cries and lamentations put up in the negro quarters of the city.”
“reparation promised.”
“The black man, ever at the heels of his white brother, set to rule over him by an inscrutable decree of nature”
About trump’s vp:
“Secretary Agriculture—Lafe Pence, of Colorado.”
About trump:
“It was like the man who delivered it—bold, outspoken, promising much, impatient of precedent, reckless of result; a double confirmation that this was to be the Reign of the Common People”
““The President must withdraw,” said the Speaker, calmly and coldly, “his presence here is a menace to our free deliberation.”
About ending the gold standard, which i think happened in 1971:
“ruinous and inevitable progress toward a universal gold standard may be stayed, the President orders and directs the immediate abandonment of the so-called “gold reserve,”
About draining the swamp:
“solemn pronouncement of their candidate that there should be at once a clean sweep of these barnacles of the ship of State”
Sort of predicting universal income:
“this new Savior of Society, whose advent to power was to bring them “double pay” for all their toil.”
Democrats wanting to fill the house and senate with those of their party:
“not only must the Senate be shorn of its power to block the “new movement of regeneration and reform” by the adoption of rules cutting off prolonged debate, but that the “new dispensation” must at once proceed to increase its senatorial representation, for who could tell what moment some one of the Northern Silver States might not slip away from its allegiance to the “Friend of the Common People.”
Democrats reckless spending and wanting to tax the rich more:
“Bills for increased revenue were hurriedly introduced, and new taxes were loaded upon the broad shoulders of the millionaires of the nation”
“Was not Paternalism rampant? Was not Socialism on the increase? Were there not everywhere evidences of an intense hatred of the North and a firm determination to throw the whole burden of taxation upon the shoulders of the rich man, in order that the surplus revenues of the Government might be distributed among those who constitute the “common people?”
Happening now:
“Threats of secession”
“People sold what they should have clung to, and bought what they did not need.”
“the Government found itself powerless to check the slow but steady decline in value of the people’s dollar.”
Might happen in the future:
“the division of Texas into two States to be called East Texas and West Texas”
“split into three parts, Eastern, Southern and Western”
“The Fifty-sixth Congress soon to convene in regular session in the city of Washington, was even more Populistic and Socialistic than its famous predecessor, which had wrought such wonderful changes in the law of the land, showing no respect for precedent, no reverence for the old order of things.”
About antifa:
“Mobs of vast size are organizing under the lead of Anarchists and Socialists, and threaten to plunder and despoil the houses of the rich who have wronged and oppressed them for so many years. Keep within doors.”
“Socialism and Anarchism found willing ears into which to pour their burning words of hatred and malevolence, and the consequence was that serious rioting broke out in the larger cities of the North, often taxing the capacities of the local authorities to the utmost.”
About the supposed insurrection:
“from a dozen different points in the South and North West “Coxey Armies” were forming for an advance on Washington. In some instances they were well clad and well provisioned; in others, they were little better than great bands of hungry and restless men”
“calling upon the Government to concentrate troops in and about Washington, and prepare for the suppression of a second Rebellion.”
About blm:
“The gathering crowds could plainly hear the plaintive cries and lamentations put up in the negro quarters of the city.”
“reparation promised.”
“The black man, ever at the heels of his white brother, set to rule over him by an inscrutable decree of nature”
About trump’s vp:
“Secretary Agriculture—Lafe Pence, of Colorado.”
About trump:
“It was like the man who delivered it—bold, outspoken, promising much, impatient of precedent, reckless of result; a double confirmation that this was to be the Reign of the Common People”
““The President must withdraw,” said the Speaker, calmly and coldly, “his presence here is a menace to our free deliberation.”
About ending the gold standard, which i think happened in 1971:
“ruinous and inevitable progress toward a universal gold standard may be stayed, the President orders and directs the immediate abandonment of the so-called “gold reserve,”
About draining the swamp:
“solemn pronouncement of their candidate that there should be at once a clean sweep of these barnacles of the ship of State”
Sort of predicting universal income:
“this new Savior of Society, whose advent to power was to bring them “double pay” for all their toil.”
Democrats wanting to fill the house and senate with those of their party:
“not only must the Senate be shorn of its power to block the “new movement of regeneration and reform” by the adoption of rules cutting off prolonged debate, but that the “new dispensation” must at once proceed to increase its senatorial representation, for who could tell what moment some one of the Northern Silver States might not slip away from its allegiance to the “Friend of the Common People.”
Democrats reckless spending and wanting to tax the rich more:
“Bills for increased revenue were hurriedly introduced, and new taxes were loaded upon the broad shoulders of the millionaires of the nation”
“Was not Paternalism rampant? Was not Socialism on the increase? Were there not everywhere evidences of an intense hatred of the North and a firm determination to throw the whole burden of taxation upon the shoulders of the rich man, in order that the surplus revenues of the Government might be distributed among those who constitute the “common people?”
Happening now:
“Threats of secession”
“People sold what they should have clung to, and bought what they did not need.”
“the Government found itself powerless to check the slow but steady decline in value of the people’s dollar.”
Might happen in the future:
“the division of Texas into two States to be called East Texas and West Texas”
“split into three parts, Eastern, Southern and Western”
“The Fifty-sixth Congress soon to convene in regular session in the city of Washington, was even more Populistic and Socialistic than its famous predecessor, which had wrought such wonderful changes in the law of the land, showing no respect for precedent, no reverence for the old order of things.”
Want to read
August 1, 2017"According to the learned Don Finn’s manuscript, the portals to the World within a World were situated somewhere in Northern Russia, possibly, so he thought, from all indications, somewhere on the westerly slope of the tipper Urals."
in: Baron Trump's marvellous underground journey 1 edition
By Ingersoll Lockwood
CHAPTER 1 .
"That was a terrible night for the great City of New York—the night of Tuesday, November 3rd,
1896. ...The people were gathered, light-hearted and confident, at the evening meal, when the news burst upon them. It was like a thunder bolt out of an azure sky : “ Altgeld holds Illinois hard and fast in the Democratic line. This elects Bryan President of the United States !”
in: 1900: Or; The Last President
DID AN AUTHOR FROM THE 1800S PREDICT THE TRUMPS, RUSSIA AND AMERICA'S DOWNFALL?
in:
http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-...
in: Baron Trump's marvellous underground journey 1 edition
By Ingersoll Lockwood
CHAPTER 1 .
"That was a terrible night for the great City of New York—the night of Tuesday, November 3rd,
1896. ...The people were gathered, light-hearted and confident, at the evening meal, when the news burst upon them. It was like a thunder bolt out of an azure sky : “ Altgeld holds Illinois hard and fast in the Democratic line. This elects Bryan President of the United States !”
in: 1900: Or; The Last President
DID AN AUTHOR FROM THE 1800S PREDICT THE TRUMPS, RUSSIA AND AMERICA'S DOWNFALL?
in:
http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-...
January 17, 2021
This book was written over a hundred years ago and it shows in its heavily adverbed prose. However, it is an interesting look into politics of the time, and perhaps most interesting is that politics have not changed all that much. I would call it a cautionary tale - 'be careful what you wish for.'
September 27, 2020
Read it for the prophetic/coincidences
July 17, 2020
It's a strange little piece of Gold Bug propaganda. If you inflate the 10¢ cost at publishing to today's dollars, it was about $3, and I don't know that I'd buy it even at that price. Thankfully, it's free to read on the Library of Congress's database.
SYNOPSIS
Like I said, it's a strange piece of propaganda. He could have just said "Silver sucks and so do the poor people who like it. Go Gold!" and left it at that; it would have had the same general message and wouldn't have taken half an hour to read.
January 15, 2021
So I fell for the hype of this book. It does not tell the future. It is boring and drags. Hard to believe with it being a book about the fall of the US. While I thought about reading the Baron Trump books but after reading this I'll pass. This book is mainly about fear of socialism and the gold standard being taken over by sliver. While the ideas are interesting he is such a bad writer this book is so boring. I kinda wish a good writer would take the ideas from this book and write a much better book. I read Lockwood was a lawyer and his writing shows it. He is a very bad fiction writer.
May 31, 2021
This was very funny, but honestly quite bad. Like real bad. I do believe that the only way to enjoy this properly would be with a tall glass of wine
November 2, 2020
A garbled, non-sensical mess.
Read
November 17, 2024
"The malicious prognostications of our political opponents have proven themselves to be but empty and sound fury. Although not quite one year has elapsed since I, agreeable to your mandate, restored you to the money of the Constitution, yet from every section of our Union comes the glad tidings of renewed activity and prosperity. The workingman no longer sits cold and hungry beside a cheerless hearthstone; the farmer has taken heart and resumed work; the wheels of the factory are in motion again; the shops and stores of the legitimate dealer and trader are full of bustle and action. There is content everywhere, save in the counting room of the money changer, for which thank God and the common people of this Republic...
...Fellow citizens, remember the bonds which a wicked and selfish class of usurers and speculators fastened upon you...let us renew our pledges to undo completely and absolutely their infamous work, and in public assembly and family circle, let us by new vows confirm our love of right and justice, so that the great gain may not slip away from us, but go on increasing so long as the statute books contain a single trace of the record of our enslavement. As for me, I have but one ambition, and that is to deserve so well of you that when you come to write my epitaph, you set beneath my name the single line: 'Here lies a Friend of the Common People.'"
...Fellow citizens, remember the bonds which a wicked and selfish class of usurers and speculators fastened upon you...let us renew our pledges to undo completely and absolutely their infamous work, and in public assembly and family circle, let us by new vows confirm our love of right and justice, so that the great gain may not slip away from us, but go on increasing so long as the statute books contain a single trace of the record of our enslavement. As for me, I have but one ambition, and that is to deserve so well of you that when you come to write my epitaph, you set beneath my name the single line: 'Here lies a Friend of the Common People.'"
Read
March 25, 2025This book was a bit disturbing in that the "future" it tells isn't exactly encouraging. It appears that Lockwood was good at drawing on the current events of his time. These three books by Lockwood will require re-reading and re-reading to fully understand any prophesies vs. coincidences - or maybe they are just what they appear to be.
November 18, 2021
It was yesterday that I came to know, this book has been dubbed as a prophecy to Donald Trump presidency after a publication of more than a century.
Nevertheless, only on the opening chapter did I feel the coincidence. The President Elect Bryan had being supported by lower segment of society and the south. That's comparable to Trump's blue collar and Bible Belt states dominancy. Of their chanting, I could relate it to 'Drain The Swamp'. As for the appointment of Lafe Pence as Secretary of Agriculture; I believed it had to certain extent, fanned this prophecy even further because he shared the same surname with Vice President Mike Pence. But that's where the similarity ended as far this book is concerned.
Ingersoll made a good choice of formatting "1900 or The Last President" as a short story. It's compact and fast paced. Yet I could feel the vibes. Writing this at longer length will lose it's dramatic effect and a disservice to the story.
The author didn't get intimate with any characters in this politically nuance saga. The attention laid to the act of government and the Congress.
It served as a warning. Of what could happen when well-meant politicians, in their earnest desire to alleviate the suffering of the oppressed member of society hastening their act at once. Without enough studies of feasibilities, nation's financial capabilities, political effects and consequences studies.
-As seen on the Executive Order no 1 of making Silver Standard on parity with the Gold Standard, and it's implications on inflation.
- The break off from Federation by northern states as political consequences.
I think at the time this story being written, this kind of government could be described as radical.Yet a lot of these radical measures had been implemented by various governments worldwide since. The explanation is that, as time past by, these measures become feasible through new inventions, new findings, technological advancement, social stability and better social conditions.
There are some of good acts in here, that I do strongly agree.
- Act establishing a Loan Commission for the loaning of moneys to farmers and planters without interest. I view agricultural sector as the guardian of national food security. Lower cost in production means lower price of food. Lower price of food means less hunger. Prolonged hunger and famine could drive good people to crime.
- Act making it a felony, punishable with imprisonment for life, for any citizen or combination of citizens to enter into any trust or agreement to stifle, suppress or in any way interfere with full, open and fair competition in trade and manufacture among the States. That's what we called Anti Trust Law nowadays.
- Act making it a felony, punishable with imprisonment for life, for any citizen or combination of citizens to to make use of any inter-State railroads, waterways or canals for the transportation of any food products or goods, wares or merchandise which may have been cornered, stored or withheld with a view to enhance the value. This is an act made it illegal to hoard public essential items from the market in view to artificially manipulate the supply and increase the value.
Nevertheless, only on the opening chapter did I feel the coincidence. The President Elect Bryan had being supported by lower segment of society and the south. That's comparable to Trump's blue collar and Bible Belt states dominancy. Of their chanting, I could relate it to 'Drain The Swamp'. As for the appointment of Lafe Pence as Secretary of Agriculture; I believed it had to certain extent, fanned this prophecy even further because he shared the same surname with Vice President Mike Pence. But that's where the similarity ended as far this book is concerned.
Ingersoll made a good choice of formatting "1900 or The Last President" as a short story. It's compact and fast paced. Yet I could feel the vibes. Writing this at longer length will lose it's dramatic effect and a disservice to the story.
The author didn't get intimate with any characters in this politically nuance saga. The attention laid to the act of government and the Congress.
It served as a warning. Of what could happen when well-meant politicians, in their earnest desire to alleviate the suffering of the oppressed member of society hastening their act at once. Without enough studies of feasibilities, nation's financial capabilities, political effects and consequences studies.
-As seen on the Executive Order no 1 of making Silver Standard on parity with the Gold Standard, and it's implications on inflation.
- The break off from Federation by northern states as political consequences.
I think at the time this story being written, this kind of government could be described as radical.Yet a lot of these radical measures had been implemented by various governments worldwide since. The explanation is that, as time past by, these measures become feasible through new inventions, new findings, technological advancement, social stability and better social conditions.
There are some of good acts in here, that I do strongly agree.
- Act establishing a Loan Commission for the loaning of moneys to farmers and planters without interest. I view agricultural sector as the guardian of national food security. Lower cost in production means lower price of food. Lower price of food means less hunger. Prolonged hunger and famine could drive good people to crime.
- Act making it a felony, punishable with imprisonment for life, for any citizen or combination of citizens to enter into any trust or agreement to stifle, suppress or in any way interfere with full, open and fair competition in trade and manufacture among the States. That's what we called Anti Trust Law nowadays.
- Act making it a felony, punishable with imprisonment for life, for any citizen or combination of citizens to to make use of any inter-State railroads, waterways or canals for the transportation of any food products or goods, wares or merchandise which may have been cornered, stored or withheld with a view to enhance the value. This is an act made it illegal to hoard public essential items from the market in view to artificially manipulate the supply and increase the value.
January 9, 2021
This novel suddenly makes the headlines because its author also wrote a series on the travels and adventures of Baron Trump (which happens to be the youngest son of the current president. It is set at the end of the 19th century and describes the conflict which existed then in the struggle between the states which just lost the civil war and the north. Ironically, the battle became an economic one. This is the real foreshadowing of the novel, as it is on economic basis that the parties are tearing the country apart, just as is going on in the present.
It is only fair in the writing.
It is only fair in the writing.
Read
September 17, 2019Read in a few sittings in several hours.
I quite liked the writing style, particularly as it got more dramatic in the last chapter due to the task of something greatly necessitating drama--the proceedings of the US Congress. Interestingly, it was very narrative-heavy and read more like a news article or nonfiction than the typical work of fiction, with the vast majority of the dialogue scenes being excerpts of monologues given by political figures. Thus, by the end, I didn't feel particularly attached to anyone involved--but perhaps the point was not to foster individual connection but to describe a (fictional) historical event, and that is an excellent goal as well (and one I am sort of aiming for as well). If so, this book has accomplished that.
Unfortunately, I probably lack some significant historical context for this, particularly the part about gold and silver. In fact, I lack so much context for this that I couldn't say if the author supported any of these people or movements or if some of the descriptions were ironically praising (I tend to use lavish and biased description both ways in my own work--earnestly and ironically). Hence my non-rating of the book.
Of course, the Trump time travel conspiracy theory (I found this book through an article about the theory and was pleasantly surprised to find the book available via the Internet Archive) is highly improbable, and I found little to connect at all here. The president who "speaks for the common people", said to represent Trump (?!), could just as easily be, for example, Huey P. Long.
Overall, interesting writing and concept, ignoring the associated conspiracy theorists, who, as per usual, are most likely wrong.
I quite liked the writing style, particularly as it got more dramatic in the last chapter due to the task of something greatly necessitating drama--the proceedings of the US Congress. Interestingly, it was very narrative-heavy and read more like a news article or nonfiction than the typical work of fiction, with the vast majority of the dialogue scenes being excerpts of monologues given by political figures. Thus, by the end, I didn't feel particularly attached to anyone involved--but perhaps the point was not to foster individual connection but to describe a (fictional) historical event, and that is an excellent goal as well (and one I am sort of aiming for as well). If so, this book has accomplished that.
Unfortunately, I probably lack some significant historical context for this, particularly the part about gold and silver. In fact, I lack so much context for this that I couldn't say if the author supported any of these people or movements or if some of the descriptions were ironically praising (I tend to use lavish and biased description both ways in my own work--earnestly and ironically). Hence my non-rating of the book.
Of course, the Trump time travel conspiracy theory (I found this book through an article about the theory and was pleasantly surprised to find the book available via the Internet Archive) is highly improbable, and I found little to connect at all here. The president who "speaks for the common people", said to represent Trump (?!), could just as easily be, for example, Huey P. Long.
Overall, interesting writing and concept, ignoring the associated conspiracy theorists, who, as per usual, are most likely wrong.
June 22, 2020
I’m glad the book was so short (43 pages), so I could finish it rather than abandoning it (which I never like doing). The book has gained notoriety lately because the author has written other books about a character named “Baron Trump”, who does not feature in this book. However, because one of the Presidents’ cabinet in this book happens to have the surname “Pence”, some spurious links have been drawn. These spurious links and suggestions of Nostradamus-esque predictions more than 100 years on, which editor Tarl Warwick bases upon the rise of “socialism, anarchism, and separatism” are weak arguments by which to draw a comparison.
If you take almost any time-span over the last couple of thousand years of human history, particularly the time-span typically associated with the rise and fall of empires (usually between 80-120 years on average), then you will see anarchism and separatism, not to mention changes in the political ideology of the society, especially once the tyranny of the ruling classes has tipped too far that it pushes the populous towards anarchy and rebellion. These are well studied and documented and yet the editor - maybe to sell more copies? - draws these weak and spurious links, also citing the other works by the author Lockwood. I do have two of those other works and am yet to read them, but I don’t envisage my judgement being changed. As for the story itself, it feels like a lawyer has written the book and it’s rather dry and lacking any real depth to the characters, their feelings, and motivations. It’s all rather dull and familiar.
If you take almost any time-span over the last couple of thousand years of human history, particularly the time-span typically associated with the rise and fall of empires (usually between 80-120 years on average), then you will see anarchism and separatism, not to mention changes in the political ideology of the society, especially once the tyranny of the ruling classes has tipped too far that it pushes the populous towards anarchy and rebellion. These are well studied and documented and yet the editor - maybe to sell more copies? - draws these weak and spurious links, also citing the other works by the author Lockwood. I do have two of those other works and am yet to read them, but I don’t envisage my judgement being changed. As for the story itself, it feels like a lawyer has written the book and it’s rather dry and lacking any real depth to the characters, their feelings, and motivations. It’s all rather dull and familiar.
May 15, 2024
This is near-future fiction with a huge echo. Perhaps it could be considered one of the earliest political thrillers. I started reading with the misconception that Baron Trump was the President referred to. However, Baron Trump is a character in Lockwood’s children’s books, not this apocalyptic tale. Nevertheless, much of the story could apply to 2024. It turns out that William Jennings Bryan is the President in question, and the rise of Silver and the Populists sweeps the nation as “despair pressed its lupine visage hard against the door of the laboring man.” There is an Executive Order #1 signed on day one of Bryan’s presidency, expected vacancies in the Supreme Court because of the elderly judges, adoption of rules in the Senate to cut off debate, riots sweeping the streets of New York City and other places, and more. Right out of the liberal playbook of then and now is tax law: “the rich man should, as was right and proper, pay a royal sum for the privilege of his happiness, and take on the nation’s taxes on his broad shoulders, where they belong.” The story is short and ends abruptly. I wonder if there could be a very interesting sequel?
June 9, 2018
A complete departure from the Baron Trump series. Read for the sake of completism, but hard-to-follow and obscure.
February 17, 2025
Lately, with ongoing discussions of this book online, some people begin to believe the possibility that time traveling may exist.
The book itself was originally published in 1896. The first before this one, begins with a boy named Baron (Baron Trump, son of Donald Trump) who lives in Trump Castle (Trump Tower. He also used to own a casino, formerly named Castle Trump) Bored with his luxurious life, Baron decides to go on an adventure. He is guided by a mysterious man named Don, who helps him discover a time travel portal in Russia.
"The Last President" follows a wealthy man who lives on 5th Avenue in New York City and decides to run for President of the United States. Despite no one believing he could win, he shocks the nation and is inaugurated. After taking office, he selects a cabinet member named Mr. Pence. However, his presidency triggers widespread riots and chaos, with people taking to the streets in violent protest.
Enter Nikola Tesla, the legendary inventor who claimed to have discovered time travel. When Tesla died in 1943, he left behind 80 trunks filled with his life's work—papers, experiments, and possibly groundbreaking discoveries.
Who was responsible for handling these classified documents? An MIT professor named John G. Trump—Donald Trump's uncle.
John Trump was recruited to analyze and secure Tesla’s work, and there are rumors that much of it was confiscated by the U.S. government. The exact nature of Tesla’s seized research remains a mystery, but theories suggest it contained revolutionary energy technology, scientific breakthroughs, and possibly even details on time travel.
After John Trump passed away, rumors circulated that his nephew, Donald J. Trump, inherited Tesla’s secret work.
Names are similar. Events and locations are uncanny. Nikola Tesla work was confiscated by Trumps uncle, who worked at MIT, and now, Trump is befriended to Musk. Many mysterious things in this world exist that we can never explain. Never rule anything out, ie Project Looking Glass.
Ingersoll Lockwood, correlation to current cia director
The book itself was originally published in 1896. The first before this one, begins with a boy named Baron (Baron Trump, son of Donald Trump) who lives in Trump Castle (Trump Tower. He also used to own a casino, formerly named Castle Trump) Bored with his luxurious life, Baron decides to go on an adventure. He is guided by a mysterious man named Don, who helps him discover a time travel portal in Russia.
"The Last President" follows a wealthy man who lives on 5th Avenue in New York City and decides to run for President of the United States. Despite no one believing he could win, he shocks the nation and is inaugurated. After taking office, he selects a cabinet member named Mr. Pence. However, his presidency triggers widespread riots and chaos, with people taking to the streets in violent protest.
Enter Nikola Tesla, the legendary inventor who claimed to have discovered time travel. When Tesla died in 1943, he left behind 80 trunks filled with his life's work—papers, experiments, and possibly groundbreaking discoveries.
Who was responsible for handling these classified documents? An MIT professor named John G. Trump—Donald Trump's uncle.
John Trump was recruited to analyze and secure Tesla’s work, and there are rumors that much of it was confiscated by the U.S. government. The exact nature of Tesla’s seized research remains a mystery, but theories suggest it contained revolutionary energy technology, scientific breakthroughs, and possibly even details on time travel.
After John Trump passed away, rumors circulated that his nephew, Donald J. Trump, inherited Tesla’s secret work.
Names are similar. Events and locations are uncanny. Nikola Tesla work was confiscated by Trumps uncle, who worked at MIT, and now, Trump is befriended to Musk. Many mysterious things in this world exist that we can never explain. Never rule anything out, ie Project Looking Glass.
Ingersoll Lockwood, correlation to current cia director
June 1, 2018
book 3 of a collection, see below for details
Not kindle unlimited, actually got it for 99 cents all together though there are various other sets and prices, as well as the single books, and as far as the blurb stuff, not as much similarity as acts like there is {in the blurb}, but there is quite a bit, and the last of the stories was a bit iffy on how much I actually liked it, the others tended to drag in places, but didn't feel as if it deserved less than a 4 no matter what, even if the writing seemed a bit stilted {as it was written back in 1800's}. this version did not have a lot of the illustrations that other ones did BUT it was also on 99 cents for all 3 books AND available for me to read mobi/epub, and it was about the same type as Gulliver's Travels basically
Travels And Adventures Of Little Baron Trump
Baron Trump's Marvelous Underground Journey
1900 ~ Or: The Last President
The Last President ** Travels And Adventures Of Little Baron Trump ** Baron Trumps’ Marvellous Underground Journey: INGERSOLL LOCKWOOD COLLECTION
Not kindle unlimited, actually got it for 99 cents all together though there are various other sets and prices, as well as the single books, and as far as the blurb stuff, not as much similarity as acts like there is {in the blurb}, but there is quite a bit, and the last of the stories was a bit iffy on how much I actually liked it, the others tended to drag in places, but didn't feel as if it deserved less than a 4 no matter what, even if the writing seemed a bit stilted {as it was written back in 1800's}. this version did not have a lot of the illustrations that other ones did BUT it was also on 99 cents for all 3 books AND available for me to read mobi/epub, and it was about the same type as Gulliver's Travels basically
Travels And Adventures Of Little Baron Trump
Baron Trump's Marvelous Underground Journey
1900 ~ Or: The Last President
The Last President ** Travels And Adventures Of Little Baron Trump ** Baron Trumps’ Marvellous Underground Journey: INGERSOLL LOCKWOOD COLLECTION
May 2, 2025
At no time in this story did I find myself connecting with the story. The most interesting part was at the end when it is implied that an unnamed character has been behind all of the chaos. How anyone finds similarities between this story and president trump I do not know. The politics are not similar in any way. It is more of a depiction of most democrats politics and socialism carried out with a lot of stupidity. Our current republican government strongly supports American capitalism. The government in this book was tearing down capitalism and dismembering the union.
The story itself was uninteresting and most likely written as some satirical news publication aimed at some specific individuals of the time. Definitely not literature and not prophetic.
I do however recommend reading or listening for yourself, simply to know what other people are talking about. I expect his children’s book were endearing. Many of his generation also wrote pieces meant to make social or political statements. I expect he grossly missed the mark or simply caused a few to chuckle.
The story itself was uninteresting and most likely written as some satirical news publication aimed at some specific individuals of the time. Definitely not literature and not prophetic.
I do however recommend reading or listening for yourself, simply to know what other people are talking about. I expect his children’s book were endearing. Many of his generation also wrote pieces meant to make social or political statements. I expect he grossly missed the mark or simply caused a few to chuckle.
January 11, 2021
"Regardless, the semblance of this work to modernity is uncanny, to a frightful degree- if he was indeed not practicing some sort of foresight, he tapped into the same unwittingly. The sheer number of synchronistic connections" - from President Bryan replacing the rich man and a token holdover of The Secretary of Agriculture is named Pence. With all this talk of a 'global currency' and a 'reset', it is uncanny. I can see a 'reset' going by as a fad until a devalued digital currency uses paternalism causing splits of populism vs socialism mobs, which ergo, descends into a technocratic tyranny fracturing the nation. We see the acrimony today in this book's prognostication.
"Bryan is elected! Bryan is elected! Our day has come at last. Down with our oppressors! Death to the rich man! Death to the gold bugs! Death to the capitalists! Give us back the money you have ground out of us. Give us back the marrow of our bones which you have used to grease the wheels of your chariots.”
"Bryan is elected! Bryan is elected! Our day has come at last. Down with our oppressors! Death to the rich man! Death to the gold bugs! Death to the capitalists! Give us back the money you have ground out of us. Give us back the marrow of our bones which you have used to grease the wheels of your chariots.”
May 4, 2021
This book was touted as "the book that predicted Donald Trump" and that it certainly was not. While Trump has been cast as a neo-Populist and the book does end with a leader governing only in the interests of the south and west, William Jennings Bryan really has little in common with Trump. The Populist platform of governing in the interests of the poor and downtrodden really aren't anything like Trump and the rich people turning into martyrs because President Bryan is requiring them to pay an income tax is a far cry from the work Trump did to protect the wealthiest of the wealthy. It also partakes of its time in its casually racist descriptions of African Americans and indigenous folk. It is, however, an interesting tale that shows the real fear rich folk felt then and now about anyone breaking their stranglehold on the republic and the real dangers of governing in the interest of only part of the population instead of the whole Union.
October 16, 2024
A little treatise which has NOTHING to do with Trump
For some psychotic reason, people want you to think this has something to do with President Trump. It does not. It is a speculative timeline detailing the fall of America (or any nation) into socialism and totalitarianism. As this was written in the rise of Marxism, the writing style can be forgiven a bit.
Lockwood provides a well thought out example of the fervor for equality that pushes a society towards communism. It is a remarkably accurate prediction of how many nations fell into that trap (and could do so again), with the notable exception of politicians working without a break for a year.
This treatise sits out of time and is somewhat dated. The writing style can hardly be described as a story, it's more of an outline of events. It's worth blowing an afternoon, but don't expect much.
And no, there is no Baron Trump (or Donald) in the story.
For some psychotic reason, people want you to think this has something to do with President Trump. It does not. It is a speculative timeline detailing the fall of America (or any nation) into socialism and totalitarianism. As this was written in the rise of Marxism, the writing style can be forgiven a bit.
Lockwood provides a well thought out example of the fervor for equality that pushes a society towards communism. It is a remarkably accurate prediction of how many nations fell into that trap (and could do so again), with the notable exception of politicians working without a break for a year.
This treatise sits out of time and is somewhat dated. The writing style can hardly be described as a story, it's more of an outline of events. It's worth blowing an afternoon, but don't expect much.
And no, there is no Baron Trump (or Donald) in the story.
August 10, 2020
Like other Lockwood pieces, this is hard to read due to it's flowery yet ineffective word choice. Pop culture suggested it had prophetic or occult connections to modern day politics, but that seems pretty far stretched after reading the book.
Look I get it, a populist president gets voted in, the people all want something for nothing, and the president basically ruins the republic etc by giving it to them. This would probably have been true for 4 or 5 presidencies in reality, but people draw the connection to current President Trump because there is a man named Pence in this fictional president's cabinet.
At surface level, the short story makes sense, has some valid points, but is generally not entertaining.
Look I get it, a populist president gets voted in, the people all want something for nothing, and the president basically ruins the republic etc by giving it to them. This would probably have been true for 4 or 5 presidencies in reality, but people draw the connection to current President Trump because there is a man named Pence in this fictional president's cabinet.
At surface level, the short story makes sense, has some valid points, but is generally not entertaining.
February 11, 2022
No idea how this ended up on my To Read list so long ago but I finally got around to it and it was a riot. Pretty standard "if you have socialism then everybody will act like market traders and barons and everything will collapse" stuff with the usual amount of reflection on what that means re: the status quo, with some proto-Randian "oligarchs as heroically put upon reasonable patriots" sprinkled in as well because why not.
Still, 3 stars for 2 reasons:
1) This apocalyptic doomsday rhetoric around a figure like Bryan is just funny to me. Purestrain " is a radical socialist!" energy.
2) It really drives home how we used to have a much higher quality of right wing bloviating cranks in this country. Beautifully written.
Still, 3 stars for 2 reasons:
1) This apocalyptic doomsday rhetoric around a figure like Bryan is just funny to me. Purestrain " is a radical socialist!" energy.
2) It really drives home how we used to have a much higher quality of right wing bloviating cranks in this country. Beautifully written.
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