Most college students know the American Revolution was fought against Britain.
But how many know that there were British merchants who donated goods and money to the colonists, simultaneously protecting their own investments and funding the war effort?
That’s exactly the kind of unexpected connections History Professor Todd Barnett, Ph.D., wants students to make through his course called “History of American Business and Capitalism.” He started teaching the class in 2019 and, since then, has enjoyed the opportunity to expose students to stories and facts they have never heard before.
The class explores the various economic systems that have existed in the United States and their role in shaping the modern form of capitalism we know today, examining how those systems affected business along the way and broadening our understanding of history.
Barnett embraces a “bottom-up” approach to history, connecting individual industries and entrepreneurs to the broader topics of the class, such as trade, management, innovation, and other business activities. He is well-versed in this historical approach: his dissertation in grad school was the first academic biography of Adolphus Busch, the co-founder of the company Anheuser-Busch. Though most people associate Busch today with popular brands such as Budweiser and Bud Light, Barnett’s research into this one individual and company uncovered Busch’s other investments and projects, including the establishments of breweries and hotels across Texas, and their place within the historical background of the time.
Barnett now teaches with this same approach, knowing it will offer his students a more complete picture of business history just as it did for himself in his research. What this looks like in practice is assigning case studies to students, in which they research and present on specific figures or corporations.
These case studies allow students to study history through a different lens. Business analytics major Abi Lindemann ’28 encountered this directly during a class when she learned about the Lowell system, which she had believed supported young women by offering them work in the textile industry.
“But as we started looking at our case studies and our readings, we started to realize that it wasn't as empowering as I had originally thought,” she says. “The women weren't protected from the men who worked there. It challenged my preconceived beliefs.”
Part of what makes the case studies so impactful is how they fuel what Barnett describes as “animated” discussions during class. Because the class gives students credit for the Oral and Visual Communications Pathway, participation is expected, and Barnett enjoys witnessing their ideas come to life.
“First-years all the way up to graduating seniors can all exist in the same class and can all learn from each other,” he says.
Biology major Yessenia Ramos ’27 took Barnett’s class last spring, and she enjoyed the emphasis on participation. Though it was initially intimidating to share her opinions, she was encouraged by how Barnett made it clear from early on that his class was a space where different perspectives were welcomed.
“Sometimes there would be people who would support certain opinions, and others would disagree,” she says. “But we all felt comfortable enough to be able to share and be open about that.”
Barnett prioritizes peer-to-peer interactions because he wants to prepare his students for their future professions, where they will need to be able to confidently present their ideas and converse clearly and convincingly.
He wants students to make the class useful for themselves. For the final research project at the end of the semester, he encourages them to choose a topic they are interested in personally, and he recognizes that each student’s project will be different because of that.
Understanding his students' diverse values and perspectives shapes Barnett’s ultimate goal for the class: to teach students not what to think, but how to think.
“Your views on business and capitalism may change during this course,” Barnett says. “I'm not going to try to change you one way or the other. That's not my job. I'm not here to indoctrinate you, I'm here to enlighten you.”