Overview

Capitalism is a word that many use but seldom define. This book introduces students to capitalism and other important concepts of economic history. It uses clear, simple language to guide the reader from the ancient pre-capitalist world to the origins of capitalism in medieval western Europe and its spread around the world. The last chapter discusses our current ongoing economic crisis. Topics include the pre-conditions and machinery of capitalism, European exploration, national finance, globalization, industrial revolution, stock exchanges, gold and paper money, the modern corporation, the impact of World War One, Communist economic history, the Great Depression, and the modern economic structure of the world. The reader will discover that the economic questions and problems of our time go back many centuries, and that solutions must take this into account.