In 1854, Samuel Rosenwald came to the United States. For about two years, he earned his living peddling. As an independent entrepreneur selling new or secondhand clothing, he likely scraped by through a combination of wit, the ability to take advantage of a far-flung network of Jewish manufacturers and distributors, lessons hard-learned by setbacks and privations on the road, and not a little luck. Along the way, he would have learned to navigate a complex world of commerce that included geographic markets expanding throughout the South and West, accessed credit within the Jewish diaspora, and developed an instinct for recognizing opportunities when they emerged. Rosenwald then found work as a clerk in a clothing store owned by Augusta Hammerslough. As a clerk, he advanced his network along the garment industry supply chain and learned accounting and other skills necessary to run a complex firm. There he met and married the...

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