Project Gutenberg 2010-01-13 Public domain in the USA. 1160 Myers, Gustavus 1872 1942 History of the Great American Fortunes, Vol. I Conditions in Settlement and Colonial Times Produced by Annie McGuire "History of the Great American Fortunes, Vol. I" by Gustavus Myers is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The book explores the origins and growth of significant fortunes in America, particularly focusing on the conditions during settlement and colonial times, and the impact of landownership and commerce on wealth accumulation. Myers aims to reveal the underlying socioeconomic systems that enabled the rise of these fortunes while critiquing the societal narratives that either glorify or vilify the wealthy. The opening of "History of the Great American Fortunes" establishes the author's intention to investigate the historical context of wealth in America, arguing that the great fortunes are products of systemic exploitation rather than mere success stories. Myers discusses how colonial landowners established significant estates and the dynamics of labor that evolved, including the introduction of both indentured servants and enslaved Africans to meet labor demands. This exploration sets the stage for a deeper understanding of how wealth was built on the foundations of inequity and exploitation during America’s formative years. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 57.3 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en United States -- Economic conditions Wealth -- United States HC Text Category: History - American Category: History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750) Category: History - Modern (1750+) 613626 2025-08-12T14:26:00.394522 text/html 618974 2010-01-13T10:09:50 text/html 570228 2025-08-12T14:26:10.898492 application/epub+zip 571634 2025-08-12T14:26:03.899515 application/epub+zip 312888 2025-08-12T14:26:02.466487 application/epub+zip 842158 2025-08-12T14:26:16.428425 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 806785 2025-08-12T14:26:09.798492 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 546245 2022-09-14T09:19:30.202676 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 538245 2025-08-12T14:25:59.338520 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 538159 2010-01-13T10:09:50 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 538151 2010-01-13T10:09:50 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20497 2025-08-12T14:26:16.640415 application/rdf+xml 15393 2025-08-12T14:26:02.988515 image/jpeg 3494 2025-08-12T14:26:02.724492 image/jpeg 207085 2010-01-13T10:09:50 application/octet-stream application/zip 459205 2010-01-13T10:09:50 application/octet-stream application/zip 207028 2010-01-13T10:09:50 application/octet-stream application/zip 532196 2025-08-12T14:26:00.459585 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia