The Invisible Hand of the Market 

In the 18th century, there was a man named Adam Smith who lived in Scotland. Smith saw people from various professions that had become popular during the Renaissance era–merchants, craftsmen and farmers–working hard to improve their lives. At that time, kings and queens made almost all the decisions about the economy. Businesses, farmers and craftsmen could not make or sell what they wanted or in the quantities they wished without permission from the king. Smith was a curious person and he often wondered— what would happen if people were free to make their own choices? What would happen if people were free to decide what to buy and sell?