John Francis Bray (26 June 1809 – 1 February 1897) was a radical, chartist, writer on socialist economics, and activist in both Britain and his native America in the 19th century.
Following the repression of the first wave of the Chartist Movement in the wake of the abortive uprising attempts of 1839 and the economic depression of 1841-1842, Bray returned to the US in 1842 and became a printer in Detroit.
He wrote articles and lectured around the midwest opposing a range of social ills from Spiritualism to the Civil War and slavery.
In short a belief that the source of employers profits is an unequal exchange with employees in which the latter is not paid the full value of their labor.
Several were started in 1840 -- "in London, Sheffield, Leeds and other towns", but "after absorbing vast capital, had gone bankrupt under scandalous circumstances.