New History of Capitalism, American historiography and the burden of slavery

Abstract

The paper traces the emergence and influence of a new movement in American historiography, the New History of Capitalism (NHC). Th e NHC is situated and analyzed in the broader context along with the development of historical science in the United States. Special emphasis placed by the NHC on the role of slavery in American economic development is examined. Concepts advanced by the NHC are scrutinized in light of the decades-long debates in American historiography considering the impact of slavery on the rise of capitalism, and the capitalist character of American slavery.

Keywords

• new history of capitalism
• capitalism
• american historiography
• slavery