The Market Revolution

Library Journal

In this major work, noted Jacksonian historian Sellers details the impact of capitalism on all aspects of U.S. development in the early 19th century. While some may denigrate his analysis as overly Marxist, its conclusions are logical and supportable. In particular the impact of the market on national character, which Sellers sees as an ongoing conflict of arminian and antimonian philosophies, may lead historians to reinterpretations of events and policies since the Jacksonian era. Sellers's scholarship is vast, but a reliance on secondary sources in social and cultural areas is disappointing. Nevertheless, his bibliographic essay is a goldmine of sources for those researching the period. Specialists may find the content of this work compelling, but the author's arid, sometimes pedantic style will limit its appeal. Recommended for academic libraries.-- Rose Cichy, Osterhout Lib., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.