The Economy of Obligation: The Culture of Credit and Social Relations in Early Modern England (Early Modern History: Society and Culture) - Hardcover

Muldrew, C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312215657 ISBN 13: 9780312215651

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 1998

Synopsis

This book is an excellent work of scholarship. It seeks to redefine the early modern English economy by rejecting the concept of capitalism, and instead explores the cultural meaning of credit which resulted from the way in which it was economically structured. It is a major argument of the book that money was used only in a limited number of exchanges, and that credit in terms of household reputation was a "cultural currency" of trust used to transact most business. As the market expanded in the late-sixteenth century such trust became harder to maintain, leading to an explosion of debt litigation, which in turn resulted in social relations being partially redefined in terms of contractual equality.

About this title

Review:

'Craig Muldrew has written an imaginatively conceived and richly researched study of the meaning and practice of credit in early modern England.' - David Harris Sacks, Reed College, Journal of Economic History

Synopsis:

Focusing primarily on the medium-sized town of King's Lynn in North Norfolk (pop. 7000-8000), the author studies the structure of credit and litigation in 17th-century England. He argues that credit, rather than money, was used in most business transactions; examines how trust was socially structured and how it affected the social order as the mark

About this edition

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0312215657
• ISBN 13: 9780312215651
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 470