The Many Panics of 1837
People, Politics, and the Creation of a Transatlantic Financial Crisis

Reveals how people transformed their experiences of financial crisis into a single event that would serve as a turning point in American history.

Jessica M. Lepler (Author)

9781107640863, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 16 September 2013

356 pages, 12 b/w illus. 1 map
22.6 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.48 kg

'In its careful reconstruction of the day-by-day unfolding of small, localized crises, this book provides a fascinating account of this complex series of small-scale events that eventually became known as the Panic of 1837. … [Lepler] weaves local stories into a network of international significance. … It is a complex story, to be sure, but one that's well worth taking the time to understand.' Sean Patrick Adams, Common-place

In the spring of 1837, people panicked as financial and economic uncertainty spread within and between New York, New Orleans and London. Although the period of panic would dramatically influence political, cultural and social history, those who panicked sought to erase from history their experiences of one of America's worst early financial crises. The Many Panics of 1837 reconstructs this period in order to make arguments about the national boundaries of history, the role of information in the economy, the personal and local nature of national and international events, the origins and dissemination of economic ideas, and most importantly, what actually happened in 1837. This riveting transatlantic cultural history, based on archival research on two continents, reveals how people transformed their experiences of financial crisis into the 'Panic of 1837', a single event that would serve as a turning point in American history and an early inspiration for business cycle theory.

Introduction: the many panics of 1837
1. A very gamblous affair
2. The pressure of 1836
3. Practical economists
4. Mysterious whispers
5. The many panics in 1837
6. Parallel crises
7. States of suspense
Epilogue: panic-less panics of 1837.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], Social & cultural history [HBTB], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], History of the Americas [HBJK]