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Natural Path To The Understanding And Use Of Accounting: Barter Bookkeeping And The Double Entry System, The Case Of Benjamin Barns Sayle, Laura Jean Kreissl

Accounting Historians Notebook

Barter bookkeeping was employed well into the 20th Century in some rural communities of the U.S. Those who used it often did so because it was adequate for their needs, not because they were unfamiliar with the double entry system. One such individual, Benjamin Barns Sayle, employed both systems simultaneously, to address the needs of his different enterprises. His story and records illustrate an almost natural progression in the understanding and use of accounting records from the limited, simple but effective barter bookkeeping system to the more expansive double entry system by individuals. Sayle's experiences suggest that by emphasizing familiar …