Chapters of Erie and Other Essays

Chapters of Erie and Other Essays is a collection of essays by American historian Henry Adams, published in 1871. The work critiques the political corruption and unchecked power of monopolies, particularly railroads, during the Gilded Age in the United States. Adams, a descendant of presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, used his writings to expose the moral and ethical decay he observed in American society and politics. The essays reflect his disillusionment with the nation's leadership and the growing influence of economic power over principles. This collection is considered an early example of American literature used for social and political protest.123