Jefferson's Abomination in the Valley: A Study of the Economic Effects of the Embargo of 1807 on Louisville's Frontier Economy

This thesis examines the effects of the Embargo of 1807 on Louisville and its surrounding areas. The purpose of this study is to discover if the interior suffered to the same degree as other regions of the country as a result of Thomas Jefferson's trade restrictions. Louisville is the focus area because it is not only representative of the Ohio Valley and the interior but also because it marked the end of civilization and the beginning of the frontier. Distinctions between class, economic status, and occupation between the inhabitants of Jefferson County are also observed. This particular approach leads to an examination into the true nature of the frontier itself. Archival material and extensive tax records are used to show that The Embargo of 1807 initiated a series of events that not only created unintended consequences, both positive and negative in nature, on Louisville's frontier economy but also laid the foundation for its future.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts and Letters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of History

Year

2007

Author dc:creator

• Lewis, Williams

• Economics
• History
• United States History

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/401

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-1404