Download or read book Promoters and Investors in Antebellum America written by Daniel Klein and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report presents the history of plank road fever in the U.S. during the mid-nineteenth century. It began in New York when George Geddes and other promoters highly exaggerated the durability of wooden surfacing. In a few years Americans built hundreds of plank roads across the country. This event illustrates how promoters spread false information in an era when there were few watchdogs against such claims. The report also provides insight into the motivations of promoters, who sought rewards other than monetary.