Capital of Capital: Money, Banking, and Power in New York City, 1784-2012(Columbia Studies in the History of U.S. Capitalism)

From Revolutionary Era bank notes to the 2008 financial collapse, Capital of Capital explores how New York City gave rise to a banking industry that in turn made the American and world economies. Capital of Capital also examines the frequently contentious evolution of the banking business, its role in making New York City an international economic center, and its influence on America's politics, society, and culture. Based on a major exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York, Capital of Capital features the key leaders of banking, including Alexander Hamilton and J. P. Morgan, as well as its critics, such as Louis Brandeis and the Occupy Wall Street protesters. The book also covers the major events and controversies that have shaped the history of banking and includes a fascinating array of primary materials ranging from antebellum bank notes and ledgers to early credit cards and advertisements. Lavishly illustrated, Capital of Capital provides a multifaceted, original understanding of the profound impact of banking on the life of New York City and the world's economy.

Table of Contents:
Director's Foreword, by Susan Henshaw Jones Introduction: New York, Banking City Beginnings: 1784-1831 The Bank War: 1832- 1860 The Civil War: 1861-1865 Banks for an Industrial Nation: 1866-1928 Reform and Regulation: 1866-1928 Crash and Depression: 1929-1945 Banks for the American Century: 1946-1974 Crises and Opportunities: 1975-1999 Capital of Capital? New York's Banks in the New Century: 2000-2012 Acknowledgments Recommended Reading Index

About the Author :
Steven H. Jaffe is a writer and historian who received his Ph.D. in history from Harvard University and has worked at the Museum of the City of New York, the New-York Historical Society, and the South Street Seaport Museum. He is the author of New York at War: Four Centuries of Combat, Fear, and Intrigue in Gotham. Jessica Lautin is an assistant curator at the Museum of the City of New York, where she was part of the curatorial team for the exhibition on which the book is based and local curator of Designing Tomorrow: America's World's Fairs of the 1930s. She received her Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania.

Review :
Anyone interested in exploring how Manhattan came to rule the nation's, then the world's, banking system should tread the trail expertly blazed by Capital of Capital, which is as beautifully written as it is exquisitely illustrated. -- Robert E. Wright, Nef Family Chair of Political Economy, Augustana College SD, author of Bailouts: Public Money, Private Profit This lively, judicious treatment illuminates the mysteries and controversies surrounding Wall Street while ably conveying its impact on modern life. Publishers Weekly The book... includes a fascinating array of primary materials ranging from antebellum bank notes and ledgers to early credit cards and advertisements. Lavishly illustrated, Capital of Capital provides a multifaceted, original understanding of the profound impact of banking on the life of New York City and the world's economy. Capital Spectator The authors trace the trajectory of high finance in the city, the effect of regulation from Albany and Washington and the influence banks have wielded. -- Sam Roberts New York Times Wonderful... Highly recommended. CHOICE Visually stunning... comprehensive and insightful... [Capital of Capital] should prove of great use to scholars and students interested in the history of capitalism as well as the history of New York. -- Jonathan D. Cohen New York History