Editing Businessperson (section)

=== Renaissance to Enlightenment: Rise of the capitalist ===
Europe became the dominant global [[commercial power]] in the 16th century, and as Europeans developed new tools for business, new types of "business people" began to use those tools. In this period, Europe developed and used [[paper money]], [[cheque]]s, and [[joint-stock companies]] (and their shares of [[capital stock]]).<ref>{{cite book|last= Roberts|first=J.M.|title=The Penguin History of the World, Sixth Edition|year=2013|publisher=Penguin|location=New York|pages=558}}</ref> Developments in [[actuarial science]] and [[underwriting]] led to insurance.<ref>{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=J.M.|title=The Penguin History of the World, Sixth Edition|year=2013|publisher=Penguin|location=New York|pages=559}}</ref> Together, these new tools were used by a new kind of businessperson, the [[capitalist]]. These people owned or financed businesses as investors, but they were not merchants of goods. These capitalists were a major force in the [[Industrial Revolution]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 2008 |title=Industrial Revolution Definition: History, Pros, and Cons |url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/industrial-revolution.asp#:~:text=The%20industrial%20revolution%20developed%20in,to%20increase%20output%20and%20profitability. |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Investopedia |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] reports the earliest known use of the word "business-men" in 1798, and of "business-man" in 1803. By 1860, the spelling "businessmen" had emerged.<ref>{{oed|businessman}}</ref>

[[Merriam Webster]] reports the earliest known use of the word "businesswoman" in 1827.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of "businesswoman" |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/businesswoman#:~:text=first%20known,above |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Merriam-Webster }}</ref>