Born to a poor family of farmers in Charleston, South Carolina, Landon embarked for California in 1849 in search for wealth and better health when he contracted tuberculosis as a young man. With his wife, Landon experienced initial difficulties adjusting to life in California, but eventually worked as a newspaper publisher. Influenced by the socialist ideas within his circle of friends, and witnessing the conditions of the working man at the minefield and in the city, Landon devoted the following years towards promoting social justice and workers' rights. In 1851, Landon purchased a farmhouse near Bernheim and established a utopian colony, and founded The Liberty Press, a leftist newspaper which garnered popularity among locals. Through his publications, Landon became a prominent political