THE MICHIGAN FREE BANK EXPERIENCE: WILD CAT BANKING OR INTERFERENCE WITH CONTRACT?

Wild Cat banking was only one of the factors behind the collapse of Michigan’s banking system and the state’s subsequent fall into a deep and prolonged depression. The Wild Cat period was brief, less than a year; the number of Wild Cat banks was small, perhaps a dozen; losses to note holders due spe...

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Main Authors: John Dove, Gary Pecquet, Clifford Thies
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Economic & Business History Society 2014-06-01
Series:Essays in Economic and Business History
Online Access:http://ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/ebhs/article/view/240
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author John Dove
Gary Pecquet
Clifford Thies
author_facet John Dove
Gary Pecquet
Clifford Thies
author_sort John Dove
collection DOAJ
description Wild Cat banking was only one of the factors behind the collapse of Michigan’s banking system and the state’s subsequent fall into a deep and prolonged depression. The Wild Cat period was brief, less than a year; the number of Wild Cat banks was small, perhaps a dozen; losses to note holders due specifically to Wild Cat banking would have been only about $350,000 had it not been for an interference with contract; and, there is little evidence that Wild Cat bank notes ever had a general circulation. This study argues that the Wild Cats gained the level of notoriety that they did mainly because of other events, including the state’s interference with contract. The interference first delayed and then completely undermined the collection of the debts owed to the Free Banks of the state and, in so doing, undermined all the Free Banks of the state, whether reckless or not.
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spelling doaj.art-6c68eb8618d34827a0b67b8321de30712022-12-22T01:35:27ZengEconomic & Business History SocietyEssays in Economic and Business History0896-226X2014-06-01321THE MICHIGAN FREE BANK EXPERIENCE: WILD CAT BANKING OR INTERFERENCE WITH CONTRACT?John DoveGary PecquetClifford ThiesWild Cat banking was only one of the factors behind the collapse of Michigan’s banking system and the state’s subsequent fall into a deep and prolonged depression. The Wild Cat period was brief, less than a year; the number of Wild Cat banks was small, perhaps a dozen; losses to note holders due specifically to Wild Cat banking would have been only about $350,000 had it not been for an interference with contract; and, there is little evidence that Wild Cat bank notes ever had a general circulation. This study argues that the Wild Cats gained the level of notoriety that they did mainly because of other events, including the state’s interference with contract. The interference first delayed and then completely undermined the collection of the debts owed to the Free Banks of the state and, in so doing, undermined all the Free Banks of the state, whether reckless or not.http://ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/ebhs/article/view/240
spellingShingle John Dove
Gary Pecquet
Clifford Thies
THE MICHIGAN FREE BANK EXPERIENCE: WILD CAT BANKING OR INTERFERENCE WITH CONTRACT?
Essays in Economic and Business History
title THE MICHIGAN FREE BANK EXPERIENCE: WILD CAT BANKING OR INTERFERENCE WITH CONTRACT?
title_full THE MICHIGAN FREE BANK EXPERIENCE: WILD CAT BANKING OR INTERFERENCE WITH CONTRACT?
title_fullStr THE MICHIGAN FREE BANK EXPERIENCE: WILD CAT BANKING OR INTERFERENCE WITH CONTRACT?
title_full_unstemmed THE MICHIGAN FREE BANK EXPERIENCE: WILD CAT BANKING OR INTERFERENCE WITH CONTRACT?
title_short THE MICHIGAN FREE BANK EXPERIENCE: WILD CAT BANKING OR INTERFERENCE WITH CONTRACT?
title_sort michigan free bank experience wild cat banking or interference with contract
url http://ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/ebhs/article/view/240
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