Was America born capitalist? A counter view

This paper is a response to Part 1 of Rob Bryer's analysis of American business consciousness in the period prior to the mid-1800s. It argues that RB's historical model for tracking the transition to capitalism in the US based on accounting signatures is too simplistic, and that the evidence he presents is ambiguous, relying as it does on the interpretation of secondary sources. The paper questions RB's unique definition of capitalism as well as his conception of a clear point of divide between the capitalist and pre-capitalist worlds, and argues that the capitalist mentality or spirit existed in America long before the early 20th century based on current evidence.

► We critique Rob Bryer's unique model of American history.
► We conclude that Bryer's historical model is too narrow and simplistic.
► We believe that Bryer's evidence is too ambiguous and overly relies on secondary sources.
► We question the rigidity of Bryer's definition of capitalism.
► We argue that capitalism in America predates the 20th century.