Professor Joshua Rosenbloom Fall 1995
ECONOMICS 530
American Economic Development
This course examines the economic history of the United States
from colonial times to the present. The course is organized
topically. The aim is to explore important questions and issues
in the development of the American economy, rather than to
provide a comprehensive account of American history. Completion
of economics 104, 140, or 304 is a prerequisite for enrollment.
Lectures and Readings
The readings and lectures for this course will sometimes overlap,
but they are not identical. You are responsible for all of the
material presented in class and in the required readings. I
expect that you will have read the required material for each
week in advance of the lectures so that we may discuss them in
class. The course outline and reading list provides general
guidance about the topics we will cover and the dates on which
they will be discussed. Specific readings for class discussion
will be announced at least one class period in advance.
There are four books available for purchase at the bookstore.
They are:
Jeremy Atack and Peter Passell, A New Economic View of
American History, 2nd ed.
Robert Whaples and Diane C. Betts, eds., Historical
Perspectives on the American Economy
Peter Kolchin, American Slavery, 1619-1877
Peter Fearon, War, Prosperity & Depression: The U.S.
Economy, 1917-45
All readings are from these books.
Attendance at all lectures is mandatory. If you are absent from
more than 10 class periods for any reason (including illness or
other events beyond your control) during the semester you will
receive an F for this course. Since illness and other events
cannot be anticipated in advance, I advise you to save your
allowed absences for times when you really need them.
Office Hours
I will hold office hours on Tuesday and Thursday, from 9:30 to
10:30, and on Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30. In addition, I am
available by appointment. My office is Summerfield 226-E. You
can reach me by phone at 864-3501. My E-Mail address is:
Jrosenbl@Stat1.cc.ukans.edu.
Course Requirements and Grades
Grades will be based on 3 exams (2 midterms and a final), 4
written assignments, and class participation. The weight of each
in your course grade is as follows:
Mid-term Exams 30% (15 percent each)
Final Exam 20%
Written assignments 30%
Class participation 20%
Exams will consist of a combination of short answer and essay
questions. Study questions will be distributed one week in
advance of each exam. The dates of the exams are as follows:
Exam 1 September 18
Exam 2 October 30
Final exam December 14, 11:30 - 1:00
Please make a note of these dates now to avoid potential
scheduling conflicts. No make-up exams will be given. If you
are unable to take one of the exams for a reason I deem
legitimate I will base your grade on the other course work.
The Written Assignments are designed to assist you in developing
your ability to read critically, write accurately and concisely,
and find information for yourself. Each assignment is described
below. Take careful note of the due dates, no paper will be
accepted more than one week late. Assignments turned in after
the due date, but less than one week late will be marked down one
letter grade. Assignments 1 through 3 are work 5% each,
assignment 4 is worth 15%.
Assignment 1 -- First draft due at the beginning of class,
Wednesday, Sept. 6; final version due at the beginning of
class, Friday Sept. 8.
After reading the article by Marc Egnal and Joseph A. Ernst
reproduced as ch. 2 of Whaples and Betts, write an essay of
no more than 2 pages (typed, double-spaced) summarizing and
evaluating it. In particular, your essay should describe
the authors' major argument, discuss the evidence they
advance in its support, and explain why you are convinced or
not convinced by their argument. After you turn in your
first draft we will discuss the article in class, you will
then have a chance to revise your essay.
Assignment 2 -- due at the beginning of class, Wednesday, Sept.
27.
After reading the articles by Robert W. Fogel and Stanley
Engerman, and Paul David and Peter Temin reproduced as
chapters 5 and 6 of Whaples and Betts, write an essay of no
more than 3 pages (typed, double-spaced) evaluating the
conflicting views of these two articles regarding slave
treatment. Your essay should identify the major sources of
disagreement between the two articles, and explain which
view you find most convincing and why.
Assignment 3 -- due at the beginning of class, Wednesday, Nov. 8.
This assignment is intended to be completed in conjunction
with the class library tour. the time and date of the tour
will be announced in class. The first step is to choose a
topic for your research paper. Before the library tour,
spend no less than one hour and no more than two hours
searching for books, scholarly articles, and statistics
relevant to your topic. Second, attend the library tour.
Third, after the library tour, return to the library and
compile a preliminary bibliography for your paper. Turn
this bibliography in with your assignment. Fourth, write a
short essay (no more than 2 typed pages) describing what you
learnd from the tour. In particular, you should explain as
concretely as possible what if any changes in research
strategy you made as a result of the library tour. You
should also discuss what aspects of the tour were most
helpful to you. Your grade will be based on your essay and
on the bibliography you turn in with it.
Assignment 4 -- Due at the beginning of class, Wednesday, Nov.
29.
You may write on any topic related to the development of the
American economy. However, your topic must be approved by
me in advance. If you are having trouble choosing a topic I
can suggest some possibilities. Your essay should be
approximately 6-8 pages (typed, double-spaced. The precise
natur of your paper will depend on the topic that you
select, but in most cases it will take the form of an
analysis and synthesis of important secondary works dealing
with your topic. Some of you may, however, wish to conduct
research with primary sources as well. Whenever possible,
your work should incorporate relevant statistical evidence.
Class Participation is an integral part of this course. It is
expected that you will attend lectures regularly, and participate
in class discussions. Participation grades will be determined on
the basis of attendence, completion of a number of statistical
exercises I will assign throughout the semester, and your
contributions to class discussion.
Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent
him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should
contact me as soon as possible so that we can discuss
accomodations necessary to ensure full participation in the
class. Course Outline and Reading List
Week 1 Economic Development in the Long Run Aug. 21-25
Atack and Passell, Introduction, ch. 1
Week 2 Origins of the American Economy Aug. 28-Sept. 1
Atack and Passell, chs. 2-3
Whaples and Betts, ch. 2
Weeks 3&4 The Industrial Revolution in America Sept. 6-15
Atack and Passell, chs. 5-8
Weeks 5&6 Agriculture under two Systems Sept. 18-29
Atack and Passell, chs. 10-11
Kolchin, chs. 1, 2: I, II, VII; 3-4, 5: I, II, VI-VIII,
ch. 6
Whaples and Betts, chs. 5-7
Week 7 Causes and Consequences of the Civil War Oct. 2-6
Atack and Passell, chs. 13-14
Whaples and Betts, ch. 9
Weeks 8&9 The Emergence of an Industrial Economy Oct. 9-20
Atack and Passell, chs. 15-17
Whaples and Betts, ch. 10, 12, 15
Week 10 The Development of Financial Markets Oct. 23-27
Atack and Passell, chs. 4, 18
Whaples and Betts, ch. 14
Week 11 Labor Market Evolution Oct. 30-Nov. 3
Atack and Passell, ch. 19
Whaples and Betts, ch. 17
Weeks 12- Macroeconomic Fluctuations Nov. 6-20
14
Atack and Passell, chs. 20-22
Fearon (entire book)
Whaples and Betts, chs. 18-19
Week 15 Government and the Economy Nov. 27-Dec. 1
Atack and Passell, ch. 23
Week 16 The Future of the American Economy Dec. 4-6
Whaples and Betts, ch. 13
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Professor Joshua Rosenbloom Spring 1995
Summerfield 226-E
Office Hours: T,W,TR 9:00-10:00 AM
Economics 525
European Economic History
Description
Economics 525 covers topics in European Economic History from the
Middle Ages to the 1980s. The course focuses on the causes of
economic development in Europe, and the interaction between
economic forces and social institutions in various periods,
rather than on providing a detailed economic history of
particular national economies within Europe.
Completion of Economics 104, 140, or 304 is a prerequisite for
enrollment in this class.
Lectures and Readings
You are responsible for all of the material presented in the
lectures and readings. Readings for this course are drawn from a
variety of books and journals. A course pack containing copies
of all of required journal articles for this course is available
for purchase at the Union bookstore. In addition, the following
books are available for purchase:
E.L. Jones, Growth Recurring
Angus Maddison, Dynamic Forces in Capitalist Development
Joel Mokyr, The Lever of Riches
Joel Mokyr, ed., The British Industrial Revolution
Derek H. Aldcroft, The European Economy, 1914-1990
Copies of these books and all other required readings are
available from the reserve desk at Watson Library.
Assignments and Grading
Your grade will be based on three short written assignments, two
in-class midterm exams, a comprehensive take-home final, and your
participation in class discussion. The weights of each of these
are as follows:
Written assignments 30% (10% each)
Midterms 40% (20% each)
Final 20%
Class Participation 10%
The written assignments are described in more detail below. The
dates of the midterm exams are indicated on the course outline.
The final exam will be from 1:00 to 2:30 PM Friday, May 5. If
you miss an exam for a reason I deem to be legitimate your grade
will be based on your other work.
Written Assignments and Class Discussion
For each of the written assignments you are to write a 400-
500 word essay (about 2 normal typed pages) based on the assigned
readings for a particular week. Each written assignment will be
due at the beginning of class on Tuesday of that week. The
specific question(s) to be addressed in each essay will be
assigned on Tuesday of the previous week, and will be the basis
for in-class discussion during that week.
Everyone is expected to keep up with the assigned readings
and to participate in the in-class discussion, but those students
writing on a particular topic will be expected to make additional
contributions to the discussion.
To ensure a reasonably equal division of the class across
the different topics you will be asked early in the semester to
select those topics on which you wish to write. Essays will be
assigned for the following topics:
Week 4 The Rise and Fall of Feudalism
Week 5 The Growth of Commerce
Week 6 The European Take-off: Explanations and
Conjectures
Week 7 The Enclosure of the Open Fields
Week 8 Agricultural Productivity and the Industrial
Revolution
Week 9 The British Industrial Revolution--What Happened?
Week 10 The Industrial Revolution--Why it Happened?
Week 11 The Industrial Revolution: Social Consequences
Week 13 The Loss of British Leadership
Please look over the syllabus in the next few days and decide
which topics you would most like to write about.
Lecture Schedule and Readings
Week 1 The Long View of Western Growth 1/12
Angus Maddison, Dynamic Forces in Capitalist
Development, chs. 1-3
E. L. Jones, Growth Recurring, chs. 1-2
Week 2 Conceptual and Methodological Foundations 1/17, 1/19
Douglass North, "Institutions," Journal of Economic
Perspectives 5 (Winter 1991), 97-112 (CP)
Joel Mokyr, The Lever of Riches, chs. 1, 7
Week 3 The Medieval Economy
1/24, 1/26
Nathan Rosenberg and L.E. Birdzell, How the West Grew
Rich, ch. 2
Joel Mokyr, The Lever of Riches, ch. 3
Week 4 The Rise and Fall of Feudalism
1/31, 2/2
Douglass North and R. P. Thomas, "The Rise and Fall of
the Manorial System: A Theoretical Model," Journal
of Economic History 31 (Dec. 1971), 777-803 (CP)
Stefano Fenoaltea, "The Rise and Fall of a Theoretical
Model: The Manorial System," Journal of Economic
History 35 (June 1975), 386-409
William H. McNeill, The Pursuit of Power, ch. 3
Week 5 The Growth of Commerce
2/7, 2/9
Nathan Rosenberg and L.E. Birdzell, How the West Grew
Rich, chs. 3-4
Douglass North and Barry Weingast, "Constitutions and
Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions
Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-Century
England," Journal of Economic History 49 (Dec.
1989), 803-32 (CP)
Week 6 The European Take-off: Explanations and Conjectures2/14, 2/16
E. L. Jones, Growth Recurring, chs. 3-11
Joel Mokyr, The Lever of Riches, chs. 9
**** First Midterm Exam 2/21 ****
Week 7 The Enclosure of the Open Fields
2/21, 2/23
Donald McCloskey, "The Prudent Peasant: New Findings on
Open Fields," Journal of Economic History 51 (June
1991), 343-56 (CP)
Robert Allen, "Agriculture During the Industrial
Revolution, in Roderick Floud and Donald
McCloskey, eds., The Economic History of Britain,
2nd ed. (1994), vol. 1, ch. 5
Week 8 Agricultural Productivity and the Industrial
Revolution 2/28, 3/2
Gregory Clark, "The Economics of Exhaustion, The Postan
Thesis, and the Agricultural Revolution," Journal
of Economic History 52 (March 1992), 61-84 (CP)
Gregory Clark, "Agriculture and the Industrial
Revolution, 1700-1850," in Joel Mokyr, ed., The
British Industrial Revolution
Week 9 The British Industrial Revolution--What Happened?3/7, 3/9
Joel Mokyr, The Lever of Riches, ch. 5
David Landes, "The Fable of the Dead Horse; or The
Industrial Revolution Revisited," in Joel Mokyr,
ed., The British Industrial Revolution
C. Knick Harley, "Reassessing the Industrial
Revolution: a Macro View," in Joel Mokyr, ed., The
British Industrial Revolution
Weeks 10 The Industrial Revolution--Why it Happened? 3/14, 3/16
David Landes, Prometheus Unbound, ch. 2
Joel Mokyr, The Lever of Riches, ch. 10
Week 11 The Industrial Revolution: Social Consequences3/28, 3/30
Peter Lindert and Jeffrey Williamson, "English Workers'
Living Standards During the Industrial Revolution:
A New Look," Economic History Review (Feb. 1983),
pp. 1-25
Gregory Clark, "Factory Discipline," Journal of
Economic History 54 (March 1994), 128-63 (CP)
**** Second Midterm Exam 4/4 ****
Week 12 Industrialization Outside of Britain
4/6
N. F. R. Crafts, British Economic Growth During the
Industrial Revolution (1985), ch. 3
Richard Sylla and Gianni Toniolo, eds., Patterns of
European Industrialization: The Nineteenth Century
(1991), ch. 1
Week 13 The Loss of British Leadership
4/11, 4/13
William Lazonick, "Industrial Organization and
Technological Change: The Decline of the British
Cotton Industry," Business History Review 57
(1983), 195-236 (CP)
Week 14 Europe in the Early 20th Century: Wars and Depression4/18, 4/20
Derek H. Aldcroft, The European Economy, 1914-1990, 3rd
ed. (1993), chs. 1-4
Peter Temin, "The Great Depression," NBER Historical
Working Paper no. 62 (November 1994)
Weeks Europe since World War II
4/25, 4/27, 5/2
15&16
Derek H. Aldcroft, The European Economy, 1914-1990, 3rd
ed. (1993), chs. 5-9
**** Final Examination 1:00 to 2:30 PM 5/5 ****