Liberty, equality, indebtedness: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the problem of debt in a revolutionary age

Author

Martha Salazar Cantu, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Date of Award

12-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

Dr. Thomas D. Knight

Second Advisor

Dr. Charles Waite

Third Advisor

Dr. Russell K. Skowronek

Abstract

In this thesis I examine how the issue of debt contributed to the political tensions between the New England region and the Chesapeake region during the Revolutionary Age. The merging of the two regions’ economies into one federal union caused political divisions, which remained beyond the period of the Early Republic. Examining the cultural attitudes of each region towards debt provides a better understanding of the political problems between these two regions. The integration of the consignment culture of the Southern states with the Puritan ethic of the New England states caused economic difficulties for the young Republic. The research uses the financial lives of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as a lens with which to examine their respective cultural attitudes towards money and debt.

Comments

Copyright 2015 Martha Salazar Cantu. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/liberty-equality-indebtedness-thomas-jefferson/docview/1771327364/se-2?accountid=7119

Recommended Citation

Salazar Cantu, Martha, "Liberty, equality, indebtedness: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the problem of debt in a revolutionary age" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 14.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/14