Antedating of "Capitalism" and "capitalist"

Wed Oct 31 01:13:13 UTC 2007

Fred,

My impression from having quickly perused the two articles (1816,
1817) was that "capitalism" was a use of the monetary sense.  To me
the 1816 quote's "for their private advantage" and the 1817 quote's
"general good" seems more likely to refer to economics than to the
capital of the country.  The 1917 article also speaks of trade and of
the junta at Buenos Ayres appropriating to themselves the emoluments
consequent on a revolution.
...
Having gone back to the 1815 and 1817 articles now, one person might
read "capitalism" as economic, while another might read it as
referring to the centralized, dictatorial "junta" at Buenos Ayres.  A
historian of Argentina might be needed to clarify this.

For the latter, http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/samerica/argentina18161870.html

"The United Provinces of La Plata saw the emergence of two political
groupings : the UNITARIANS favouring a strong centralist state, and
the FEDERALISTS who advocated strong regional autonomy.
As the regional political strongmen (CAUDILLOS) resisted attempts to
impose central authority from Buenos Aires, the country found itself
in a protracted civil war."  (This I think is after 1817.)

Joel

At 10/30/2007 08:05 PM, you wrote:
>Joel,
>
>Do we really know that the Argentine usage of "capitalism" has the
>modern meaning?  I had seen the 1820 citation but not posted it
>because I figured it was a different term, deriving perhaps from
>"capital" in the sense that Buenos Aires is the capital of the
>country rather than from financial "capital."
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
>
>
>________________________________________
>From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
>Joel S. Berson [Berson at ATT.NET]
>Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 6:15 PM
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: Antedating of "Capitalism" and "capitalist"
>
>America, the originator of "capitalism " -- and Argentina, the
>originator of capitalism:
>
>I.  capitalism. 1816
>
>Headline: From the Columbian. South America;
>Paper: Shamrock, published as The Shamrock;
>Date: 05-18-1816; Volume: I; Issue: 34; Page: 270;
>Location: New York, New York
>[EAN]
>
>Artigas has declared that he will protect the province of Santa Fe,
>which, armed _en masse_, ... is preparing to unite with the other
>provinces, to drive out the horde of seditious and barbarous wretches
>who have been collected together at Buenos Ayres ever since the
>commencement of the revolution, maintaining the destructive system of
>capitalism for their private advantage.
>
>[And a year or so later from the same unsettled area of both the
>above and Stephen's 1820 citation:]
>
>Headline: Latest from South America. New-York, June 16;
>Paper: Eagle, published as The Eagle.;
>Date: 07-11-1817; Volume: IV; Issue: 5; Page: [1];
>Location: Maysville, Kentucky
>[EAN]
>
>General Carrera had used great exertions to put down
>_capitalism_---in the arrogant pretensions of B. A. individuals, and
>to promote the general good.
>
>[So there!  :-) ]
>
>II. capitalist 1781 (OED2 1792-)
>
>Headline: A Memorial to Their High Mightinesses, the States General
>of the United Provinces of the Low-Countries;
>Paper: Massachusetts Spy, published as The Massachusetts Spy: Or,
>American Oracle of Liberty;
>Date: 10-11-1781; Volume: XI; Issue: 544; Page: [1] col. 2;
>Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
>[The Spy was (generally) Isaiah Thomas's paper.]
>
>It may not however be amiss to hint that the central situation of
>this country [not England; see the headline], her extensive
>navigation, her possessions in the East and West-Indies, the
>intelligence of her merchants, the number of her capitalists, and the
>riches of her funds, render a connection with her very desirable to America.
>
>Joel
>
>At 10/30/2007 09:12 AM, you wrote:
> >Quoting "Shapiro, Fred" <Fred.Shapiro at YALE.EDU>:
> >
> >>capitalism (OED 1854)
> >>
> >>1848 _Caledonian Mercury_ 25 Sept. (19th Century British Library
> >>Newspapers)  Lord George Bentinck ... gathered them once more
> >>together to resist once more that sweeping tide of capitalism and
> >>money-loving which threatens our country with the horrors of a
> >>plutocracy.
> >
> >
> >PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE
> >Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), July 31, 1820; Issue 15431
> >Category:News
> >[19th Century British Library Newspapers]
> >London, July 28
> >...
> >Extract of a letter from Buenos Ayres, dated 8th May.
> >Our political affairs have not yet settled into tranquility and order; the
> >spirit of capitalism still exerts itself for regaining the ground
> which it has
> >lost, and is assisted by the remains of Pueyrredon's adherents.
> >
> >SG
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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