An examination of the complex process that saw business enterprise move from a marginal position in the largely agrarian society of the early colonial period to become, by the twentieth century, one of the principal forces shaping American culture. Subjects to be considered: the business and political activities of colonial merchants, early-American attempts at industrialization, the business careers of John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, and the growth, since 1900, of multidivisional corporations like DuPont and General Motors. Readings will include historical studies, biography, autobiography, and fiction.