By the middle of the eighteenth century the merchants were dominant figures in the northern American colonies; powerful economically; politically; and socially. But in New England this preeminence had not been present in the first years of settlement; it had been achieved in the course of three generations of social development as the merchants often Puritans themselves; rose within the Bible Commonwealths to challenge the domination of the Puritan fathers.In lively detail Mr. Bailyn here presents the struggle of the merchants to achieve full social recognition as their successes in trade and in such industries as fishing and lumbering offered them avenues to power. Surveying the rise of merchant families; he offers a portrait in depth of the emergence of a new social group whose interests and changing social position powerfully affected the developing character of American society.The story of this group is the story of people and of their many–sided interests. The merchants were united by the demands of their common devotion to trade; yet they did not form a socially homogeneous unit. In fact their social differences―created in the confusions and dislocations of the early days of settlement came to play an important role in their business and political activities. Moreover; their commercial ventures; successes; and failures affected their social and political situation. Internationalists by occupation; they were deeply affected by personal relations with Europeans as well as by events in the Old World.Drawing on source material from many fields―business records; religious and political data; literary remains; and genealogical information―Mr. Bailyn has discovered much that is new about the merchants; and has brought it all together into a composite portrait of our economic founding fathers that is fascinating in itself and that will reorient our thinking about many aspects of early New England history.
#746593 in Books 2014-10-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .99 x 5.72l; .0 #File Name: 0674416899416 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A slightly different look at the Albigensian heresy taking into ...By Frederick P.A slightly different look at the Albigensian heresy taking into account the factors that may have contributed to dissatisfaction with the catholic church and the rewards to those who participated in the Albigensian crusade.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Who actually were "the Cathars" (if they ever existed)?By W. CheungA 300-page book on a complicated period over a quarter of a millennium is unlikely to be straightforward. Using primary sources Professor Moore demonstrates to the reader that there was never any "European-wide heretical movement" in the Middle Ages. Neoplatonism had a tendency to destabilize Christian theology. Meanwhile; lay piety had a tendency to challenge ecclesiastical authority when simony was practiced in one form or another. Heterodoxy and even heresy had been well tolerated for a long time. However; when the papacy; the empire; local aristocracies; and the middle class started to seriously compete for land and power; accusation of heresies became a convenient and deadly political tool. The myth of an organised heretical force such as the Cathars was thence developed. The story can be at times confusing but the account is exciting and indeed a page-turner.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. All Christians Should Read This OneBy Linda McMillanThis is a great book about power; politics; and the misappropriation of religion in medieval Europe. You can forget all that stuff you learned about the heresies in college; this book gives a much more robust picture of the socio-political milieu in which the big heresy hunts were conducted. It's short; very readable; and ties things together nicely. I'm giving it a big recommendation.
