From a survey of the growth of income in the United States and its distribution, these analyses of the initial industrialization of North America go on to explore the nature of American slavery, an important institution affecting the US economy in its early years. Northern agriculture, which provided the context within which industrialization began, is described next. Then attention turns to the beginnings of industry in a successful agricultural economy, followed by a section examining iron, railroads and large firms. Finally, seminal articles on banking and financial markets close the collection.