Enterprising America

The rise of America from a colonial outpost to one of the world's most sophisticated and productive economies was facilitated by the establishment of a variety of economic enterprises pursued within the framework of laws and institutions that set the rules for their organization and operation. To better understand the historical processes central to American economic development, 'Enterprising America' brings together contributors who address the economic behaviour of American firms and financial institutions - and the associated legal institutions that shaped their behaviour - throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.