Description
Book SynopsisA compelling history of nineteenth-century economic, social, and cultural life, Capitalism by Gaslight explores the blurred boundary between legitimate and illegitimate economic activity, describing the dealings of prostitutes, dealers in dirty books and used goods, mock auctioneers, illegal slavers, and other entrepreneurs.
Trade Review"A valuable addition to the rapidly growing literature on the history of capitalism in the United States." * Gary Kornblith, Oberlin College *
"This engagingly presented volume is a truly important contribution to the economic and cultural history of the nineteenth century and to the history of capitalism." * Rosanne Currarino, Queens University *
Table of ContentsIntroduction—Brian P. Luskey and Wendy A. Woloson
Chapter 1. The Loomis Gang's Market Revolution—Will B. Mackintosh
Chapter 2. The Promiscuous Economy: Cultural and Commercial Geographies of Secondhand in the Antebellum City—Robert J. Gamble
Chapter 3. The Era of Shinplasters: Making Sense of Unregulated Paper Money—Joshua R. Greenberg
Chapter 4. The Rag Race: Jewish Secondhand Clothing Dealers in England and America—Adam Mendelsohn
Chapter 5. Lickspittles and Land Sharks: The Immigrant Exploitation Business in Antebellum New York—Brendan P. O'Malley
Chapter 6. "The World Is But One Vast Mock Auction": Fraud and Capitalism in Nineteenth-Century America—Corey Goettsch
Chapter 7. Underground on the High Seas: Commerce, Character, and Complicity in the Illegal Slave Trade—Craig B. Hollander
Chapter 8. "Some Rascally Business": Thieving Slaves, Unscrupulous Whites, and Charleston's Illicit Waterfront Trade—Michael D. Thompson
Chapter 9. Selling Sex and Intimacy in the City: The Changing Business of Prostitution in Nineteenth-Century Baltimore—Katie M. Hemphill
Chapter 10. Economies of Print in the Nineteenth-Century City—Paul Erickson
Chapter 11. Back Number Budd: An African American Pioneer in the Old Newspaper and Information Management Business—Ellen Gruber Garvey
Conclusion—Brian P. Luskey and Wendy A. Woloson
Notes
Index
List of Contributors
Acknowledgments
