Benjamin Hampton

Benjamin Hampton established Hampton's Magazine in 1907. Published monthly, it cost fifteen cents. The main objective of Hampton's magazine was to give information on controversial political issues. Hampton pointed out: "We are going to expose evil wherever we can; we are going to expose it calmly and truly; we are going to expose it in order that it may be replaced by good".

Contributors included Theodore Dreiser, Jack London, Joseph Conrad, Harris Merton Lyon, O. Henry, P.G. Wodehouse, Ellis Parker Butler and Edwin Balmer.

Hampton's Magazine was especially concerned with business corruption and published articles such as: The Trust That Will Control All Trusts (August, 1909), Water Power and the Price of Bread (July, 1909) and The Heart of the Railroad Problem (December, 1910). By 1910 the magazine had a circulation of 440,000.

Rheta Childe Dorr, a strong supporter of women's suffrage, was also a regular contributor to Hampton's Magazine. In 1910 a collection of her articles, What Eight Million Women Want, was published. The book was very successful and sold over half a million copies.

When Hampton was considering publishing an article on the New York and Hartford Railroad in 1910, he was warned that if he went ahead, he would be out of business in ninety days. Hampton ignored the threat and published the article. The threat was carried out, advertising dried up and when he tried to borrow $30,000 from his bank he was refused. Although Hampton's business was valued at $2,000,000, he was unable to obtain a loan from any bank in America. As a result, Benjamin Hampton was forced to close down Hampton's Magazine.