Wealth of a Nation to Be: The Term Paper

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Wealth of a Nation to Be: The American Colonies on the Eve of the Revolution" by Alice Hanson Jones. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1980.) xxxvi, 494 p.: ill.; 24 cm, (HC104.J67).

This book is a more modern look than some of the other books scrutinized in these reports. It takes a newer look at America poised for Revolution, and indicates how the quest for American freedom and the country's economy were so clearly and closely intertwined. Perhaps one of the most interesting portions of the book is the clear indication of more economic development in the northern colonies rather than the southern. In a pattern that would continue throughout the country's development, the north geared itself more toward manufacture and industry, while the south geared itself more toward agriculture and rural life. These would be the deciding factors when Civil War tore the country apart only 100 years after the eve of Revolution. In addition, the book illustrates another economic trend that has continued throughout history - the continual creation and rising of a distinct middle-class in the country. While colonists hoped to leave behind the distinct class structure of England when they immigrated to America, the country and its' economy clearly created another distinct class, the middle-class merchant and entrepreneur.

This author's thesis is quite clear from the title and first pages of the book. This is a book about the colonies on the eve of Revolution, and how the economy helped lead the colonies to war with England. To help back up this thesis, the author includes many helpful tables and graphs that aid the reader in understanding the scope and relevance of the economy. For example, Jones illustrates that our economy followed England's in many respects. Land, livestock, and farm equipment were clearly the most important items in the economy, and this was the same in England. These items made up 94% of the capital goods in New England and 85% in the middle colonies (Jones 98). This economic growth led to burgeoning trade that the English tried to capitalize on and keep as their own, at the expense of the growing American economy.

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Certainly, the economy was not the only cause of the American Revolution, but it was a major cause of the fight.

This book is a detailed account of the economy of early America and how it helped the country grow and alter into one of the most influential nations on Earth. The nation's economic development and influence began early, and has always influenced our own lives and the world economy. This book shows the roots of that economic development, and how it helped the nation grow by bringing wealth, population, and even literacy (such as newspapers) in growing numbers as the economy developed. Even in Colonial America, there was a widening gap between rich and poor, and that gap was filled with successful merchants, farmers, and manufacturers.

Critically, this book is interesting, and because it was written within the last 25 years, the language and information provides is less stilted and more modern, if slightly academic in tone. One of the strongest points in the book is the author's inclusion of tables and charts that help the reader visualize the numbers and influence of the economy. Perhaps the weakest point of the book relates directly to the strongest points. Because much economic data from early America is limited, many of Jones' figures are pure conjecture. While they are educated guesses, even the author notes they may not reveal the truth about the colonists' finances. She notes, "The income estimates are tenuous because of inadequate knowledge from which to determine the correct capital-output ratio" (Jones 63). Even with these limitations, the book is still an excellent look into the economy and livelihoods of early Americans......

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