[Ads-l] Antedating of "Underclass"

[Shapiro, Fred]

underclass (OED 1918)

1863 Henry Ward Beecher in Pittsburgh Daily Commercial 24 Nov. 2/2 (ProQuest)  When the great under class of England is determined in one direction, they always carry their point.

1879 Philadelphia Inquirer 4 Mar. 8/3 (ProQuest)  California could never have been brought to her present position on the Chinese question had not the influence of the great under class of voters driven both the Republican and Democratic parties to it.

1880 Philadelphia Inquirer 2 Apr. 3/1 (ProQuest)  Give intelligence to our great laboring under class, and I will risk the future.

Fred Shapiro

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