Imagine the early days of Colonial America, towns are spread out, there’s no one standard of money, and trade is complicated. How are goods bought and sold, how is fair value determined?
Ellen Hartigan-O’Connor is a historian and Professor of History at the University of California, Davis. Her book America Under The Hammer, out from the University of Pennsylvania Press, is a history of colonial auctions but also a reflection of value during that time period. We discuss the role of women in auctions, how colonies regulated auctions, and the ways that slave auctions fueled the abolitionist movement.
This interview was done as part of the New Books Network, a fantastic podcast platform that features dozens of author interviews with leading academics and thoughtleaders each week.
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