In the growing and dynamic economy of 19th century America, businesses sold vast quantities of goods to one another, mostly on credit. This book explains how business people solved the problem of whom to trust - how they determined who was deserving of credit, and for how much

Tracing credit from colonial times to the present and highlighting its productive role in building national prosperity, Rowena Olegario probes questions that have divided Americans: Who should have access to credit? How should creditors assess creditworthiness? How can borrowers and lenders...

In the growing and dynamic economy of 19th century America, businesses sold vast quantities of goods to one another, mostly on credit. This book explains how business people solved the problem of whom to trust - how they determined who was deserving of credit, and for how much.

American households, businesses, and governments have always used intensive amounts of credit. The Engine of Enterprise traces the story of credit from colonial times to the present, highlighting its productive role in building national prosperity. Rowena Olegario probes enduring questions that...

Intro -- Contents -- Introduction -- 1 Mercantile Credit in Britain and America, 1700-1860 -- 2 A "System of Espionage": The Origins of the Credit-Reporting Firm -- 3 Character, Capacity, Capital: How to Be Creditworthy -- 4 Jewish Merchants and the Struggle over Transparency -- 5 Growth,...