Whilesystemsthatmayhavebeenprecursorstobasicmodernaccountingprobablyhaveexistedsincethebeginningofcommerce,accountingasweknowitbeganwiththeItalianRenaissanceanddevelopedinearnestduringtheIndustrialRevolution.Infact,whilescholarstheorizethataccountingmayhavebeentheoriginalreasonforthedevelopmentofwrittenlanguage,littleisknownaboutaccountinghistorybeforetheRenaissance,althougharchaeologyandrelatedsciencesareuncoveringevidenceofsystemsthatfarpredatethatperiodoftime.

　　Thereligiousandsecularpossessionsofcitystateshadtoberecordedtoallowforanysortoforganization,whichiswhythetheoryofwritinghavingbeendevelopedforaccountingpurposesarose.However,whenwerefertomodernaccountinghistory,westartwiththedoubleentrybookkeepingproceduresthatcharacterizedtheaccountingproceduresofItalianRenaissancemerchants,andgavethemtheorganizationandclaritytheyneededtorisetothetopoftheworldoftradeatthetime.By1494,accountingprocedureshadbeencodifiedbyFriarLucaBartolomeodePacioli(Paciolo),whoisthereforeregardedasthefatherofmodernaccounting.

　　AccountingestablisheditselfevenfurtherduringtheIndustrialRevolution,andtheaccountinghistoryofthisperiodisfascinatingindeed,asthepioneerofaccountingduringtheIndustrialRevolutionwasnoneotherthanthepotterJosiahWedgwood,whosefamilyfirmstilldominatesthemarketforluxuryfinechinaandcrystal.Wedgwood,asattunedtothebottomlineashewastothequalityofhiswares,demandedthatproperrecordsbekeptsothathewasabletoeasilydetectandremedyminorinefficienciesandcostoveragesaswellastoquicklydealwithsuchpotentialcalamitiesastheembezzlementheoncediscoveredwhenreviewingthemeticulousfinancialrecordsforwhichhisenterprisebecamerenowned.Wedgwoodisasmuchapartofaccountinghistoryasheisofproductionhistorybecauseoftheefficiencyofhiscostaccountingmethods,whichwereadoptedbyothersuccessfulindustrialistsofhistime.

　　TherailroadsalsodependedonproperaccountingtechniquessothattheycouldfulfilltheirroleasthetransportlifelineoftheIndustrialRevolution.GiventheavariciousnatureofsomeoftherailroadbaronsoftheUnitedStatesduringtheexpansionofrailroadsthere,itcanprobablybeassumedthatthehistoryofaccountingscandalsbeganwiththemethodsusedbytheserobberbaronstooutwitinvestors,customersandtheonsetofregulatorypressuresalike.

　　Bythebeginningofthe19thcentury,"accomptants",thepredecessorsoftoday'sskilledandtrainedoutsideaccountants,begantoappearinLondon,andasimilarprofessionwouldariseintheAmericasaswellduetoindustrialdevelopmentthere.Often,bankruptcywasthereasonthatfirmsturnedtothesepioneersofindependentaccountinghistory.

　　Andin1845,whenWilliamDeloiteopenedhisLondonaccountancyfirm,themodernoutsideaccountingandauditingprofessionwereclearlyapartofBritishbusinessprocedure,whichatthetimeledtheworldintermsofadvancementandtransparency.Hisfirm,likethatofWedgwood,liveson,andtodayDeloitteisthetrademarkoftheinternationalgiantDeloitte(DeloitteToucheTohmatsu)thatevolvedfromthefirstmajorfirminaccountinghistory.