Goldbugs and Greenbacks

In the late-nineteenth century, there was a popular and heated debate over what sort of financial system America should have. Behind the discussions over gold versus silver and state versus national banks was a broader dialogue about sectionalism, class relations, and the future course of the American economy and democracy. Professor Ritter contends that there was a distinctive and neglected political tradition in the United States - the antimonopoly tradition - which was championed by nearly every major agricultural and labor group during the period from the Civil War until 1900. The book explains why the antimonopolists (including the National Labor Union, the Greenbackers, the Knights of Labor, and the Populists) saw the financial system as the key to maintaining economic opportunity and democratic control for all classes and regions.

"This is an important study that raises significant questions about the role of the financial system in influencing political and economic change....Goldbugs and Greenbacks is an important book for historians, economists, and political scientists concerned with developments in American society." Choice, "This is a provocative book, and a good contribution to the debate..." Larry Schweikart, H-Net Reviews, "Ritter has made a major contribution to the history of late-nineteenth century America. Her integration of the national party structure with economic reform and her detailed discussion of the monetary and national banking systems across a thirty-year period provide historians with a needed overview." Bruce Palmer, Reviews in American History 25, "Ritter's book might be described as a gold mine of late nineteenth century ideas regarding contemporary economic problems, banking and the nature of money. It should be of great interest to all scholars working on this period." Wilbur Devereux Jones, Perspectives on Political Science, "Goldbugs and Greenbacks is an important work that clearly explains the substance of the antimonopoly position....Historians of nineteenth-century politics, including historians of North Carolina, will find this book to be rewarding reading." James L. Hunt, North Carolina Historical Review