PEAES Conference on International Investment

Join us for the twelfth annual PEAES conference conference, Foreign Confidence: International Investment in North America, 1700 to 1860.  During the colonial and early republic years in North America, various foreign networks of individuals and institutions provided funds, credit, and knowledge to North Americans. These resources became vital forms of transnational investment for many commercial, internal development, philanthropic, and banking enterprises. New research highlights the great reach of foreign capital and credit into North America, as well as the role of strategic international marriages, transnational secrecy, and collaborations of families across imperial boundaries, and collaborative and competitive lending by both individuals and early banks across national boundaries. Indeed, all major kinds of development during these years drew upon the money and expertise of Europeans, South Americans, North Africans, and Caribbean peoples. The papers for this conference explore many facets of this blurring of boundaries among international resources and peoples and will engage the audience in some reflections about the rich international archives that illuminate these relationships between North Americans and foreign investors.