Harriet Martineau

Martineau, Harriet (1802–76), British writer and social reformer. A writer of fiction as well as nonfiction on many topics, she is best known for her works on economics and social reform, particularly her Illustrations of Political Economy (1832–34) and Illustrations of Taxation (1834), written for the layperson, and Society in America (1837), presenting her antislavery views.