Robert E. Wright

Robert E. Wright is the Nef Family Chair of Political Economy at Augustana University, where he has taught courses in business, economics, government, and history since 2009. He is the co-author or co-editor of over 20 books, including most recentlyCorporation Nation” (2014), “Guide to U.S. Economic Policy” (2014), and “Genealogy of American Finance” (2015). Dr. Wright has taught at Temple University, the University of Virginia, and New York University’s Stern School of Business. He is currently editor of the Cambridge University Press monograph series “Slaveries Since Emancipation” and a member of the board of Historians Against Slavery. His articles on current trends in business have appeared in Barron’s, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes.com, and Moody’s Economy.com. He has been a guest on National Public Radio, C-SPAN, the BBC, “The Lou Dobbs Show,” and “Larry Kane: Voice of Reason.”

By this expert

The “Fortune 500” of 1812

Article | Aug 27, 2024

By 1812 the U.S. already had more business corporations than any other country and possibly more than all other countries combined.

Scale and Scope in Early American Business History: The “Fortune 500” of 1812

Paper Working Paper | | Aug 2024

By 1812 the U.S. already had more business corporations than any other country, and possibly more than all other countries put together, securing its role as the world’s first “corporation nation.”