American Express, Visa, Master Card. These are credit card names we hear and see almost everyday. These cards are used to buy almost anything, and we can get an item right away, agreeing to pay for it at a later date.

What about back in the 1900s and earlier when people couldn't just swipe their card? What if they needed supplies at that very moment but couldn't pay for it? How did the idea of "buying on credit" work?