Revolutionary Economies: What Archaeology Reveals about the Birth of American Capitalism

Revolutionary Economies explores the roots of American capitalism through the archaeology and history of the Chesapeake Bay region. Thomas W. Cuddy looks at the archaeological evidence concerning revolutionary-period bakeries and bakers (some of whom had been students of Adam Smith in Scotland) in Annapolis, Maryland and Alexandria, Virginia to examine the development of local production systems that characterized these important early American urban centers. Revolutionary Economies charts the stages of production from household manufacturing to larger workshops to mechanized factories and opens a window on the country's economic history. The volume's blend of archaeology, history, and economics makes it a prototypical study in historical archaeology.