Debtors’ Prisons, Class, and Patriotism in 18th Century Ireland
June 10, 2015
In a paper for Eighteenth-Century Ireland, Martyn J. Powell discusses the politics that seem to have limited the use of debtors' prisons in Ireland.
The Birth of the Modern American Debt Collector
August 7, 2019
In the 19th century, farm loans changed from a matter between associates into an impersonal, bureaucratic exchange.
The Return of Debtors’ Prisons
November 19, 2015
New lawsuits allege that court officials are jailing people who fall behind on payment of court fees and fines, leading to a resurgence of debtors' prisons.
How Credit Reporting Agencies Got Their Power
September 19, 2017
Early credit reporting companies urged people to “Treat their credit as a sacred trust” and argued that keeping a good credit record was a moral concern.
Debt Forgiveness and Jubilee 2000
November 30, 2020
Erasing student loans is a hot topic of conversation now. In the 1990s, debt forgiveness was an international movement.
