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The United
States of America have long been recognized as the country where dreams
of wealth and money would come true, based upon boundless opportunities
and liberal economic policies, where solely by steady endeavor and
persistence, millionaire and billionaire selfmademen could emerge. The
recent rise of Internet billionaires, many of them bright but modest
immigrants, reaffirms this image of the wealthiest and the mightiest
nation on Earth.
When the
first settlers arrived on the shores of New England some 400 years ago,
their driving force was to start a new life, away from the (mostly
religious) persecution in England and Continental Europe. America, was
soon recognized as the land of economic opportunities and more immigrants
streamed in, this time seeking fortune.
Throughout
history, the United States of America produced large fortunes and
capitalists which soon became as famous and probably more powerful than
many of the Nation’s statesmen. Many American millionaires themselves
sought public offices and thus the line between wealth and political
influence became blurred at certain times.
Many works
have been written about American millionaires and billionaires, selfmade
men, industrial tycoons, railroad barons, merchant princes,... Names
like Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Ford or Mellon, or more recently Sam Walton,
Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are familiar to most Americans, as well as to
the rest of the World. More than in any other country, sucessful
businessmen and capitalists found their place in history and reference
works in America and the media are also reserving ample space for stories
and gossips about the rich and famous.
Yet, despite
all this coverage, we feel there is still a need for a more complete
reference work, tracing American fortunes and the wealthy families
throughout the history of the Nation. This work is an attempt to compound
such a reference and set up a Classification of American Wealth, starting
with the Manor Lords of the colonial times and ending with todays high
tech wizards of the Internet.
The following
index outlines the content of this work, whereas certain chapters
still need to be written. Additional chapters may be included and titles
or content will be completed as our insight into the subject improves.
Aside from the main text elements, this web site also features links
to related web sites, bibliographies, lists and charts, and more generally
all items which can enlighten us on the path of discovering the history of
American Wealth...
A
Classification of American Wealth
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Introduction and Index
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