Abstract
This paper examines the philosophical origins of seventeenth century American economic thinking, considering the contributions of both Puritan thought as derived from the abundant written legacy its followers left behind, and that of Quaker thought, which though less voluminous proved to be more influential in the long run development of American economics. Before addressing the dominant theme of this essay, the paper begins with a discussion of protohistory, a concept essential to understanding the contention that historiography has overvalued the significance of Puritanism at the expense of Quakerism.
Keywords. Protohistory, Puritanism, Quakerism.
JEL. A10, A20.
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