Navigating Failure

Bankruptcy and Commercial Society in Antebellum America
1. Auflage 2001
ISBN: 978-0-8078-4916-3
Verlag: The University of North Carolina Press

Buch, Englisch, 344 Seiten, Paperback, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 590 g

Reihe: The Luther H. Hodges Jr. and Luther H. Hodges Sr. Series on Business, Entrepreneurship and Public Policy

The culture of American capitalism and one of its most enduring features - bankruptcy The ""self-made"" man is a familiar figure in nineteenth-century American history. But the relentless expansion of market relations that facilitated such stories of commercial success also ensured that individual bankruptcy would become a prominent feature in the nation's economic landscape. In this ambitious foray into the shifting character of American capitalism, Edward Balleisen explores the economic roots and social meanings of bankruptcy, assessing the impact of widespread insolvency on the evolution of American law, business culture, and commercial society. Balleisen makes innovative use of the rich and previously overlooked court records generated by the 1841 Federal Bankruptcy Act, building his arguments on the commercial biographies of hundreds of failed business owners. He crafts a nuanced account of how responses to bankruptcy shaped two opposing elements of capitalist society in mid-nineteenth century America.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Balleisen, Edward J.

Über Autor(innen)

Edward J. Balleisen is the Hunt Family Assistant Professor of History at Duke University, where he teaches courses on nineteenth-century America.