A friend of Edgar Allan Poe, Lippard advocated a socialist political philosophy and sought justice for the working class in his writings. He founded a secret benevolent society, Brotherhood of the Union, investing in it all the trappings of a religion; the society, a precursor to labor organizations, survived until 1994.
A companion of Edgar Allan Poe, Lippard promoted a socialist ideology and fought for workers' rights through his writings. He established a covert charitable group, Brotherhood of the Union, which adopted all the trappings of a faith; this organization, an early precursor to labor unions, endured until 1994.