Econ 5470: Industrialization and Economic Development: The American Case
Spring 2001
FAMB 204
Tuesday 7:00-9:30 p.m.
Professor Maloney
Office: 318 KDGB
Office Phone: 581-7704
Dept Phone: 581-7481
Office Hours: Wednesday 12:30-2:00, Thursday 9:00-10:30, and by appointment
URL: www.econ.utah.edu/maloney/547home.html
E-Mail: maloney@economics.utah.edu
In this class, we will study growth and change in the US economy from the colonial period to the
present. While this course is to a great degree a "survey," or a broad overview, of these issues,
we will give particular emphasis to the study of labor markets, demography, the standard of
living, and economic inequality.
The core of the lecture material will be organized around our primary text, Atack and Passell, A
New Economic View of American History. We will read and discuss most of this book. We
will also read Annalee Saxenian's Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon
Valley and Route 128. We will discuss the Saxenian book during the last week of class. Both
of these books are available in the bookstore. In addition, we will read a few journal articles and
book chapters, which will be available through the reserve desk at the library. A few such
articles are listed on the schedule below; others may be added depending on time and student
interest. Because I will also present a considerable amount of material that is not specifically
available in any of these books, it is important to attend class regularly and to take good notes.
In addition to our study of the lecture material, each student will choose one particular topic for
detailed, individual study. Throughout the semester, each student will pursue their chosen topic
through a series of assignments:
. identification of a general topic area and one particular piece (a journal article or book
chapter) for which the student will turn in a critical review of about 5 to 7 pages (topic and
cite due 1/30)
. turning in and discussing these reviews (review due 2/27)
. identification of a narrow topic to be pursued in a short (10 to 12 page) research paper, along
with a list of likely sources (proposal due 3/20)
. turning in and discussing a rough draft of the final paper (rough draft due 4/10)
. turning in and discussing the final draft of the final paper (final draft due 4/17)
More detail on this set of assignments will be given in class. Announcements, due dates, and
other information will occasionally be posted on the course web page. To get there, go to the
department page (www.econ.utah.edu), click on faculty and staff, click on my name, then
click on the link for Econ 5470. You can also go directly to
www.econ.utah.edu/maloney/547home.html.
Econ 3905-5 ("Modes of Learning"):
Econ 3905-5 is a one-credit course which provides additional instruction in writing research
papers and essays in economics. It is not necessary to register for Econ 3905-5 to fulfill the
communication requirement (successful completion of Econ 5470 fulfills the requirement).
Nonetheless, some students will find enrolling in Econ 3905-5 useful, both because it will

Maloney, Econ 5470/6470, Spring 2001, p. 2
provide an additional hour of credit and because it will give you access to resources which
will help you improve your writing and thereby improve your grade in Econ 5470 (and in
other classes). Students in Econ 3905-5 will meet with the instructor (Allen Posewitz) for a
lecture/workshop on research and writing; Allen will also read a rough draft of either your
critical essay or your term paper and discuss methods for improving your paper. Our section
of Econ 5470 is allocated just 10 slots in Econ 3905-5, so students who are interested in this
resource should sign up right away. For more details, contact Allen Posewitz at
allen.posewitz@economics.utah.edu.
Econ 6470 (Graduate Section):
Students planning to use this course for graduate credit must register for Econ 6470 (rather
than Econ 5470). Also, you must see me early in the semester to discuss additional work that
will be required for graduate credit.
Assignments and Grading:
1. Exams:
There will be two mid-term exams and a final. All will be a mix of short answer and essay
questions. The final will include some comprehensive material but will emphasize material
from the final third of the semester. Exams will be based on the reading and our discussion
in class. The mid-terms are each worth 20% of your grade and the final is worth 25%. The
first mid-term will be held on 2/6, during the second half of class. The second mid-
term will be held on 3/6, during the second half of class. The final will be held on
Tuesday, 5/1, from 8:20 to 10:20 pm.
2. Writing assignments:
There are two major writing assignments - the 5-7 page critical review, which is worth 10
percent of your grade (due on 2/27), and the final 10-12 page paper, which is worth 20
percent of your grade (due on 4/17). In addition, you will turn in a general topic area and a
full citation for the piece that you will critically review on 1/30, a narrow topic and a list of
potential sources on 3/20, and a rough draft of your paper on 4/10. 5 percent of your grade
will be based on your turning in these three shorter assignments on time and participating in the
discussion of all of these assignments. YOU MUST BRING TWO COPIES OF THE
ROUGH DRAFT ON 4/10.
So the composition of your final grade looks like this:
. First mid-term: 20%
. Second mid-term: 20%
. Final exam: 25%
. Critical review: 10%
. Final paper: 20%
. "Class Participation" (based on turning in the other components of the research project and
participating in discussions of the projects): 5%
The University of Utah Department of Economics seeks to provide equal access to its programs,
services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodation in this class,
reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor and to the Center for Disability
Services (http://disability.utah.edu/, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020) to make
arrangements for accommodations.

Maloney, Econ 5470/6470, Spring 2001, p. 3
Topics and Schedule
The dates for specific readings and topics may change, but exam dates and due dates for
assignments will not change.
T 1/9: Introduction
Overview of Technological Change and Growth in Great Britain and the US
T 1/16: Overview of US Growth, Continued
Colonial Economic History
READ Atack and Passell, Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2.
Note: Wednesday, 1/17, is the last day to drop classes without record.
T 1/23: Colonial Economic History, Continued
Early Industrialization in the US
READ Atack and Passell, Chapter 7
T 1/30: More on Early Industrialization in the US
GENERAL TOPIC AREA AND ARTICLE CITATION FOR CRITICAL REVIEW
DUE
T 2/6: Demography and US Economic History, Part I: Fertility, Mortality, and Health
READ Atack and Passell, chapter 8, p. 212-228
FIRST MID-TERM EXAM DURING SECOND HALF OF CLASS
T 2/13: Demography, Part II: Immigration and Internal Migration
READ Atack and Passell, chapter 8, p. 229-245
T 2/20: Slavery and the South
READ Atack and Passell, chapters 11 and 12
T 2/27: Slavery and the South, Continued
The Post-Civil War South
READ Atack and Passell chapter 14
CRITICAL REVIEW DUE
Note: Friday, 3/2, is the last day to withdraw from term-length classes (with record of "W").
T 3/6: 19 th Century Wealth Inequality
19 th Century Capital Accumulation
SECOND MID-TERM EXAM DURING SECOND HALF OF CLASS
T 3/13: NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK

Maloney, Econ 5470/6470, Spring 2001, p. 4
T 3/20: Late 19 th Century Change in Industrial Structure
Late 19 th Century Labor Markets
READ Atack and Passell, Chapter 17
READ Alexander Keyssar, Out of Work: The First Century of Unemployment in
Massachusetts (1986), Chapter 2: "The Social Origins of Unemployment" (on reserve).
RESEARCH PAPER TOPIC AND LIST OF POTENTIAL SOURCES DUE
T 3/27: Late 19 th Century Labor, Continued
Female Labor in the 20 th Century
Read Atack and Passell, Chapter 19
T 4/3: African American Labor in the 20 th Century
The Great Depression
READ Sundstrom, "The Color Line: Racial Norms and Discrimination in Urban Labor
Markets, 1910-1950," Journal of Economic History 54:2 (June 1994), p. 382-396 (on
reserve).
READ Atack and Passell, Chapter 21
T 4/10: The New Deal and the Rise of the Public Sector
READ Atack and Passell, Chapters 22 and 23
ROUGH DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER DUE - BRING TWO COPIES
T 4/17: US Relative Decline in the late 20 th Century
READ Nelson and Wright, "The Rise and Fall of American Technological Leadership:
The Postwar Era in Historical Perspective," Journal of Economic Literature 30:4
(December 1992), p. 1931-1964 (on reserve).
FINAL DRAFT OF PAPER DUE
T 4/24: Technological Change in the Computer Industry, Late 20 th Century
READ Saxenian, Regional Advantage, by this date
T 5/1: FINAL EXAM, 8:20-10:20 PM, FAMB 204