Federalist Tycoon The Life and Times of Israel Thorndike [Hardcover]

In this well researched and finely written biography, Kistner deconstructs the image of Israel Thorndike as the Scrooge-like tight fisted Yankee wedded to Federalist ideology. Instead, we meet a person who rises from nothing to become one of the nations wealthiest men. Along the way he makes his share of enemies and mistakes but through the prism of Thorndikes extraordinary life we get a clear view of the fierce battles that shaped the economy and politics of American Republic in its early days while at the same time catching a glimpse into the family social life of New Englands elite.With brisk pacing and a fine sense of the broader American narrative, Kistner gives us a full and rich biography of a man who was arguably the most successful entrepreneur in early New England.?Kistner casts Israel Thorndike as a peerless businessman and a significant Federalist politician, with a range of ventures that included privateering, an extensive overseas trade network, internal improvements, and textile manufacturing.In this detailed biography of Massachusetts entrepreneur Israel Thorndike, Timothy H. Kistner. . . .expertly and judiciously fills in the missing details based on careful research. . . .[The book] provides the general reader with an informative, enjoyable narrative account of several critical business and political events of the period.After the War of 1812, Thorndike concluded his career as the leading venture capitalist financing the early Industrial Revolution. Sadly, his story is little known. Federalist Tycoon pulls Thorndike's life and career from the shadows and fully examines his impact on American economic development.Born poor in Beverly, Massachusetts, in 1755, the young Israel Thorndike was a fisherman and ship owner who made a small fortune as a Revolutionary War privateer. Later he became a wealthy merchant, a delegate to the Massachusetts Ratification Convention and a director of the National Bank in Boston. A longtime Federalist legislator, he l³-