Description
Book SynopsisThe monograph Actors of Globalization portrays a group of New York businessmen engaged in global trade from 1784 to 1812. It follows their businesses around the world and shows how through wit, flexibility, and the help of a worldwide net of business partners the merchants were able to quickly rise to global entrepreneurs speculating on wars, food crises and slave revolts. The ramifications of their commerce were felt at home, where the merchants invested in land and city development, established new financial institutions and contributed to a rising consumer culture. This book brings together global and local history, arguing that private actors played an important role in the economic and social development of the young United States.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations Merchant Biographies Introduction Globalization in History The Merchants of the Study Global History Synopsis 1 A Global Merchant Class Self-Made Businessmen Merchant Networks 2 Global Entrepreneurs The East Indies Trade Indian Ocean Trade Networks Commodities Spanning a Net of Trade around the World—The Routes of the Ships Washington, America, and Sampson Trade with Europe The West Indies Trade The Haitian Revolution Commercial Politics 3 Local Spaces New York City after Independence Land Development Finance and Industry Community Leadership Commercialization A World of Goods Conclusion Bibliography Index
