Description
Book SynopsisThis history of New York culture and commerce in the first two thirds of the eighteenth century tells how the volatile forces of imperial politics and commerce created a fluid society in which establishing one's own status or verifying another's was a challenge.
Trade Review"In this wonderful snapshot of the relationship between economic systems and social hierarchies in eighteenth-century New York, Serena Zabin offers an exciting view of life on the margins in the imperial city." *
Common-Place *
"This is not merely an account of a single city but instead a consideration of culture and commerce shaped by political and economic competition and exchange in the Atlantic world. . . . Zabin paints a portrait of colonial New York City that others working on eighteenth-century urban centers will find useful in analyzing how residents thought about their position within the imperial system and their relationships to others, near and far, throughout the empire." *
William and Mary Quarterly *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Imperial New York City
Chapter One. Where Credit Is Due
Chapter Two. Webs of Dependence
Chapter Three. The Informal Economy
Chapter Four. Masters of Distinction
Chapter Five. Black Cargo or Crew
Chapter Six. Status, Commerce, and Conspiracy
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
