The Genesis of Industrial America, 1870–1920

by Maury Klein

• ISBN13: 9780521859783
• ISBN10: 0521859786
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-09-03
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book offers a bold new interpretation of American business history during the formative years 1870-1920, which mark the dawn of modern big business. It focuses on four major revolutions that ushered in this new era: those in power, transportation, communication, and organization. Using the metaphor of America as an economic hothouse uniquely suited to rapid economic growth during these years, it analyzes the interplay of key factors such as entrepreneurial talent, technology, land, natural resources, law, mass markets, and the rise of cities. It also delineates the process that laid the foundation for the modern era, in which virtually every human activity became a business, and, in most cases, a big business. The book also profiles numerous major entrepreneurs whose careers and activities illustrate broader trends and themes. It utilizes a wide variety of sources, including novels from the period, to produce a lively narrative.

Author Biography

Maury Klein (B.A., Knox College; M.A., Ph.D., Emory University) has been a professor of history at the University of Rhode Island

Table of Contents

Series Editor's Foreword	p. xi
Introduction: The Business of America	p. 1
Prologue: A Hothouse for Economic Growth	p. 5
The Marvel of Men and Machines	p. 17
The Lure of Lovely and Lucrative Land	p. 35
The Defeat of Distance and Desolation	p. 57
The Potential of Plentiful Power	p. 83
The Fabrication of Familiar Forms	p. 105
Bargaining with Behemoths	p. 131
The Collision of City and Country	p. 153
The Mastery of Mass Markets	p. 177
Epilogue: The Boundaries of Big Business	p. 195
Sources and Suggested Readings	p. 199
Index	p. 207
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