Faculty Books
Industrializing Antebellum America: The Rise of Manufacturing Entrepreneurs in the Early Republic
Eastern Connecticut State University
The vastly different philosophical approaches of leading manufacturing entrepreneurs in America’s early years is the focus of a well-received book by Barbara M. Tucker, professor of history and director of the Center for Connecticut Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University. The book examines three prominent American families whose common goal of prosperity through manufacturing had little else in common. In Industrializing Antebellum America: The Rise of Manufacturing Entrepreneurs in the Early Republic, the Colt family’s approach is described as “casino capitalism,” a profit-oriented, no-holds-barred, forward-looking approach which included visionary marketing tactics and a worldview which led to overseas manufacturing. The Slater family viewed entrepreneurism quite differently — as a means to an end — but one deeply rooted in American values and principles, religious beliefs, and philanthropic endeavors. In contrast, the Lawrence family of Massachusetts saw the elite class as the sole beneficiaries of entrepreneurial success and had little concern for the manufacturing workers under its employ. While each of the families saw much financial success, their divergent approaches continue to be reflected in the business world more than a century later.
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