Thomas G. Shearman

Thomas Gaskell Shearman was a lawyer and political economist. He left school at age 13 and never attended a college or law school. However, he authored two important legal treatises early in his career. As a lawyer, he handled cases that are still written about today. In 1873 he co-founded a New York law firm, Shearman & Sterling. In his time, he was a leading voice on many public issues. He is particularly remembered for speaking out against tariffs and excise taxation in the United States as an unjust burden on the poor. He was in favor of a tax on the unimproved value of all land.