American Capitalism
New Histories
Sven Beckert editor Christine Desan editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Columbia University Press
Published:6th Aug '19
Should be back in stock very soon
This book explores innovative research on capitalism as a historical subject, examining finance, labor, women's rights, and more, while highlighting its complexities and implications for understanding American history and global contexts.
American Capitalism explores innovative research that positions capitalism within a historical context. The book delves into various topics, including finance, debt, women's rights, slavery, labor, and the racial aspects of capitalism, showcasing the extensive and diverse nature of the new history of capitalism. The United States has long been viewed as a symbol of capitalism, characterized by its entrepreneurial spirit, complex financial systems, and the stark realities of slave labor. Understanding the historical nuances of American capitalism remains both challenging and essential.
The essays compiled in this volume reflect the work of notable scholars who present fresh perspectives on capitalism's role in shaping American history. They examine how capitalism interacts with political authority, the ways it is claimed and challenged by different groups, and its global implications. This multifaceted approach invites readers to reconsider capitalism's impact across various disciplines and contexts, encouraging a deeper understanding of its historical significance.
Overall, American Capitalism serves as a significant contribution to the field, highlighting emerging themes and methodologies in the study of capitalism. By addressing the complexities and contradictions inherent in capitalist systems, the book not only enriches our comprehension of American history but also opens up new avenues for inquiry into the nature of capitalism itself. It stands as a vital resource for scholars and readers interested in the intricate relationship between capitalism and historical development.
Sven Beckert and Christine Desan are leaders in the burgeoning history of capitalism field, and they have put together a volume of outstanding scholars whose essays, in their chronological reach and subject matter, show this new literature at its best. A very fine and promising collection. -- Steven Hahn, New York University
This stunning volume not only captures the most vibrant, challenging work in the history of capitalism, but also distills the central themes and defining contributions of the field. The essays speak to all historians, not just those working in the history of capitalism. A must-read. -- Laura F. Edwards, Duke University
American Capitalism represents the coming of age of a field of historical research. Rarely, in any field, has one volume featured the work of so many talented and accomplished historians. Each chapter breaks fresh ground and proposes new lines of inquiry. The editors have assembled a landmark and agenda-setting book that no student of economic life in the United States can afford to ignore. -- Jonathan Levy, University of Chicago
From the creditor constitution to the market for slave clothing to early American mercantilist thinking, this deftly curated book samples some of the best work that the history of capitalism literature has to offer. Readers interested in new and provocative explorations of the politics, law, and culture enmeshed in American economic institutions need look no further. -- Suresh Naidu, Columbia University
Few historical subfields are more important and timely than the critical history of capitalism. In this volume, Sven Beckert and Christine Desan have assembled cutting-edge work on topics as diverse as slavery, credit, insurance and risk, financial crises, race, gender, agriculture, and law and regulation. These essays combine chronological breadth, analytical depth, and geographic scope, linking the micro and macro, the local and the global. Essential reading. -- Thomas J. Sugrue, New York University
American Capitalism shows us the benefits of a broad approach to the study of capitalism, and scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds will learn much from its essays. -- John N. Blanton * The Gotham Center for New York History *
- Long-listed for Association of American Publishers, Honorable Mention - PROSE Awards in US History 2019
ISBN: 9780231185257
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
448 pages