John Gaventa describes the British paternalism characteristic of late 19th-century industrialists, a philosophy that harnessed absentee land ownership in pursuit of capitalist economic gain. He references Alexander Arthur, Scottish-born entrepreneur, engineer, and president of the American Association, the British investment group that funded absentee land acquisition and industrial development across the Cumberland Gap, as a prime example of this approach. Follow this link for access to the full-length interview.
Recorded October 2021.