Goldbugs and Greenbacks: The Antimonopoly Tradition and the Politics of Finance in America, 1865-1896

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.