The Genesis Of Industrial America, 1870-1920

This page intentionally left blank ii P1: KAE 9780521859783agg.xml CUNY990/Klein 978 0 521 85978 3 July 10, 2007 16:56 THE GENESIS OF INDUSTRIAL AMERICA, 1870–1920 This book offers a bold new interpretation of American business history during the formative years 1870–1920, which mark the dawn of modern big business. It focuses on four major revolutions that ushered in this new era: those in power, transportation, communication, and organization. Using the metaphor of America as an economic hothouse uniquely suited to rapid economic growth during these years, it analyzes the interplay of key factors such as entrepreneurial talent, technology, land, natural resources, law, mass markets, and the rise of cities. It also delineates the process that laid the foundation for the modern era, in which virtually every human activity became a business, and, in most cases, a big business. The book also profiles numerous major entrepreneurs whose careers and activities illustrate broader trends and themes. It utilizes a wide variety of sources, including novels from the period, to produce a lively narrative. Maury Klein (B.A., Knox College; M.A., Ph.D., Emory University) has been a professor of history at the University of Rhode Island since 1964, receiving a Doctor of Humanities degree and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Knox College in 2001. Klein has been a Newcomen Fellow at Harvard Business School and held a Mellon Fellowship at Hagley Museum and Library. He has published thirteen books, and his numerous articles have appeared in Forbes, City, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, American History Illustrated, Sports Illustrated, and Civil War Times Illustrated. Klein has also appeared in documentaries on the BBC and PBS, among other networks. i P1: KAE 9780521859783agg.xml CUNY990/Klein 978 0 521 85978 3 ii July 10, 2007 16:56 P1: KAE 9780521859783agg.xml CUNY990/Klein 978 0 521 85978 3 July 10, 2007 16:56 CAMBRIDGE ESSENTIAL HISTORIES Editor Donald T. Critchlow, St. Louis University John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Early Cold War Spies: The Espionage Trials That Shaped American Politics iii P1: KAE 9780521859783agg.xml CUNY990/Klein 978 0 521 85978 3 iv July 10, 2007 16:56 P1: KAE 9780521859783agg.xml CUNY990/Klein 978 0 521 85978 3 July 10, 2007 The Genesis of Industrial America, 1870–1920 MAURY KLEIN University of Rhode Island v 16:56 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521859783 © Maury Klein 2007 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2007 eBook (EBL) ISBN-13 978-0-511-34158-8 ISBN-10 0-511-34158-X eBook (EBL) hardback ISBN-13 978-0-521-85978-3 hardback ISBN-10 0