Accounting History Page Why Study Accounting History?
The history of accounting is as old as civilization, key to important phases of history, among the most important professions in economics and business, and fascinating. Accountants participated in the development of cities, trade, and the concepts of wealth and numbers. Accountants invented writing, participated in the development of money and banking, invented double entry bookkeeping that fueled the Italian Renaissance, saved many Industrial Revolution inventors and entrepreneurs from bankruptcy, helped develop the confidence in capital markets necessary for western capitalism, and are central to the information revolution that is transforming the global economy.
There are no household names among the accounting innovators; in fact, virtually no names survive before the Italian Renaissance. It took archaeologists to dig up the early history and scholars from many fields to demonstrate the importance of accounting to so many aspects of economics and culture. The role of accountants in the ancient world is coming into clearer focus with new archaeological discoveries and innovative interpretations of the artifacts. It is now evident that writing developed over 5,000 years--by accountants. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of double entry bookkeeping. It was central to the success of Italian merchants, necessary to the birth of the Renaissance. Industrial Revolution firms required accountants to provide the information necessary to avoid bankruptcy and their role developed into a profession. Big business required capital markets that depended on accurate and useful information. This was supplied by what became an accounting profession. Today, a global real-time integrated information system is a reality, suggesting new accounting paradigms. Understanding history is needed to develop the linkages to predict this future.
Other Stuff I’m Doing: See my web pages: garygiroux.com giroux@tamu Books in Progress by Gary Giroux: The Dark Side of American Capitalism: Centuries of Scandals and Corruption Corruption is not a new thing, but essentially came over on the first boats from Europe. As finance and business became more complex
Office Pro Plus 2010 Key, so did corruption. The second half of the 19th century became the most corrupt period with virtually all governments requiring various forms of payoffs and financial corruption on a grand scale. Despite various progressive reforms and regulations, corruption continue to erupt regularly
Office 2010 Product Key, with the most amazing occurring in the 21st century. It turns out that a manic mortgage machine can bring down the world economy and create trillion dollar losses. Not a new thing, just more zeroes. I have a working draft for this book. A Short History of Accounting & Business
This book is based on the premise that accounting has been significant to civilization and fascinating
Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Plus! Accounting history is summarized in eight chapters. An overview places accounting in perspective. In some ways accounting hasn't changed much since Pacioli wrote the first "textbook" in 1494. On the other hand
Office Professional 2007 Key, accounting has been a leader of the Information Revolution. Many aspects of 21st century accounting will be unrecognizable by today's professional leaders. Understanding the role of financial and managerial needs today and in the future requires an understanding of the past. [This book is on hold until The Dark Side is completed.]
Luca Pacioli
Windows 7 Pro Key, Father of Accounting
Outline:
Overview--Accounting in the 21st Century: Where Are We Now? How Did We Get Here?
1. From the Ancient World to the Enlightenment [Synopsis]
2. Britain and the Industrial Revolution [Synopsis]
3. American Big Business and Cost Accounting
4. Financial Accounting and the Structure of Accounting Regulation [Synopsis]
5. Auditing
6. Taxation
7. The Information Revolution
8. Twenty-first Century Accounting
References
The Great Accounting Ride
Who Was the First Accountant?
Other Essays
Annual Reports of the Minehill & Schuylkill Railroad
The Big Eight
Gutenberg--Person of the Millennium?
Financing the Civil War: The Office of Internal Revenue and the Use of Revenue Stamps
Accounting History Time Line
A History of Financial Analysis
Audit Risk Characteristics (Powerpoint)
Links to the Past Accounting Business Museums
AAA
History of Money
Hagley Museum (Du Pont)
Academy of Accounting Historians
Henry Ford Museum
Accounting Hall of Fame
Computer History
Ironbridge
AICPA
Lippincott Library (Wharton)
Industrial Revolution
National Archives
FASB
U.S. Museums
Pacioli
Archaeology Sites
Railroads
George Bush Library
SEC
American Currency
Baker Library - Harvard
Tax History
NYSE History
Presidential Sites
The British Museum
Companies Individuals General
History Channel
International Business Machines
Charles Dow
Thomas Edison
Wells Fargo
PBS
General Mills
Henry Ford
Brain Bank
Aetna
Ben Franklin
Virtual Library
Alexander Hamilton
New Deal
J. P. Morgan
John D. Rockefeller
History Net
American History
American Heritage
American History
Civil War Center
Federal Tax History
Civil War
U.S. History
Other Sites
Federal Reserve
Fed World
Census Bureau
Biography
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