Title: American exceptionalism, American anxiety
Description: "The Mythology of nineteenth-century American economic exceptionalism trumpeted the positive work incentives prevailing in a society of scarce labor, weak class barriers, and abundant opportunity. This ideology agreed with the optimistic vein of political economy, in which high wages went hand in hand with increased productivity.

What, then, was the supposed role of poverty, the fear of poverty, and other negative work incentives in the era of early industrial capitalism and escalating sectional conflict over slavery? American Exceptionalism, American Anxiety examines a wide spectrum of antebellum American thought on these and related issues, including slavery and cheap immigrant and female sweated labor."--BOOK JACKET.
Subjects: Capitalism, Competition, Economic conditions, History, Labor, Labor economics, Slavery, Social classes, States, Subsistence economy, Wages, Work ethic, Working poor, United states, economic conditions, Exceptionalism
Places: Northeastern States, Southern States, United States
Time periods: 19th century, To 1865