The 100 Most Significant Events in American Business: An Encyclopedia

This encyclopedia analyzes the significant events – products, people, companies, legislation and decisions – that have shaped American business over the last three centuries. The events span from 1623, when the Plymouth Colony was privatized to open the door to a capitalist system, and culminate in 2009, when General Motors declared bankruptcy in a case that typified the “deindustrialization of America” (p. 261). Professors and practitioners reviewed the selections based on several criteria that are explained in the introduction: commercialization, economic factors, new business models, management systems development, and long‐term impact.

The events are arranged chronologically, making the real value...