Luxurious Citizens: The Politics of Consumption in Nineteenth-Century America

After the Revolution, Americans abandoned the political economy of self—denial and sacrifice that had secured their independence. In its place, they created one that empowered the modern citizen—consumer. This profound transformation was the uncoordinated and self—serving work of merchants, manufacturers, advertisers, auctioneers, politicians, and consumers themselves, who collectively created the nation's modern consumer economy: one that encouraged individuals to indulge their desires for...