Sullivan, R. Economic History of the United States
College of the Holy Cross
Economics 115 Prof. Richard Sullivan
Economic History 508 Stein
of the United States 793-2334
Fall 1990 Office Hours:
11:30-12:00, M W F
4:00-5:00, M F
3:00-4:00 Th
"[T]he central conceptual problem of economic history as a
scientific discipline" [is] "how time-specific conditions interact
with timeless economizing to produce an economic history."
-George Grantham
"[I]f economic history...stops with known neoclassical models,
activated by data, it is of minor value in economics or in history.
... [Economic history] sweeps up irrationalities, obstructions,
lumpiness, partial ignorance, social misery--the piles of brush of
the 'real world' and throws them in the path of the social
theorists of all sorts, with the challenge to tidy them up."
-William Parker
Introduction
This course will survey the events and circumstances which shaped
the spectacular growth of the United States' economy since 1790.
As you might guess, that could be a lot to cover, and so I have
narrowed the focus a bit.
We will largely concentrate on the 19th century transition of
the U.S. economy from a traditional economy to the fully modern
economy we enjoy today. To accomplish this, we will:
-survey changes in transportation and their effect on the rest
of the economy.
-investigate the evolution of farming, the central sector of
a traditional economy.
-look at the conversion of manufacturing, the pivotal sector
of any modern economy, from small-scale artisinal shops to
mega-scale factories.
-consider the development of our banking system and its
relation to changes elsewhere in the economy.
-examine the growth of government and its role in the
economy.
We will also spend some time on the beneficial and detrimental
characteristics of that modern economy by examining, with
historical perspective, the record of economic performance over the
twentieth century. Why has productivity growth slowed in recent
years? Are the proceeds of economic growth distributed more
evenly? If not, why not?
The pace of the class and depth of coverage is partly
determined by class interest and participation. Elementary
economic theory (such as supply and demand analysis, or basic money
supply theory) will be used to relate historical events to their
economic consequences and economic events to their historical
consequences. You will do well in the class if you demonstrate
your understanding of economics and your ability to apply economic
analysis to the understanding of U.S. economic history. If a
particular principle of economics is not clear to you, then please
ask me to elaborate upon it in class.
Prerequisites. To be enrolled in this class, you should have taken
Principles of Economics, Economics 11 and 12. If you have not,
please see me.
Class Materials
The required textbook for the course is Susan Previant Lee and
Peter Passell, A New Economic View of American History. New York:
W.W. Norton, 1979.
In addition, there are supplementary readings that will be on
reserve at the library.
Course Requirements
There is one midterm exam, a comprehensive final exam, three short
essays, and a term paper. Class participation will count towards
determining your grade. Weights for these assignments are:
Class Participation 5%
Midterm Exam 20%
Short Essays 20%
Term Paper 20%
Final 35%
A tentative date for the midterm exam is given below. The exact
date will depend on the pace of the class, and will be announced in
class.
Short Essays. The short essays (1000 words per essay) will have
you report on the readings that are assigned for the class.
Details on the essays will be distributed as the semester
proceeds.
Term Paper. The paper should be 15 to 20 typewritten pages,
including footnotes (or endnotes) and bibliography. The topic will
be of you own choosing; in the near future, I will distribute a
handout with suggested topics. Both content and quality of writing
will be used to grade your paper. You must submit a brief
description (100-200 words) of the proposed paper along with a
bibliography no later than Monday, Oct. 15. Two copies (one
original and one photocopy) of the final version of the paper is
due on Friday, Nov. 30.
Paper and Exam Policies
Essays and Papers. Your essays and paper will be collected at the
beginning of class on the day they are due; any essay or paper
handed in after the due date will be considered late. Late essays
and papers will be accepted, but will be penalized by one- third of
a letter grade (e.g., from a "B" to a "B-") for each weekday the
paper is late. I will make exceptions to this policy only upon
receipt of a note from the class dean.
Exams. Students are required to take exams in class in the desig-
nated period. Upon receipt of a note from the class dean, you may
be excused from an exam. Makeup exams are not given; assignment
weights are redistributed.
Course Outline and Reading Assignments
Abbreviations:
TEXT = Lee and Passell, New Economic View of American History.
AEG = L. Davis, et. al., American Economic Growth. New
York: Harper and Row, 1972.
ISSUES= G. Nash, ed., Issues in American Economic
History: Selected Readings. 3rd ed. Lexington,
MA: D.C. Heath, 1980.
REINT = R. Fogel and S. Engerman, eds., The
Reinterpretation of American Economic History. New
York, Harper and Row, 197?.
AER= American Economic Review.
JEL= Journal of Economic Literature.
AHR= American Historical Review.
EEH= Explorations in Economic History.
JEH= Journal of Economic History.
A. Introduction and Methodology (2 periods)
TEXT, Introduction.
F. Redlich, " 'New' and Traditional Approaches to
Economic History and Their Interdependence." ISSUES, pp.
2-15.
R. Fogel, "The Reunification of Economic History with
Economic Theory." ISSUES, pp. 15-20.
B. Overview of U.S. Economic Growth (5 periods)
S. Kuznets, "Notes on the Pattern of U.S. Economic
Growth." REINT, ch. 2.
TEXT, Ch. 3
AEG, Ch. 2, "The Pace and Pattern of American Economic
Growth."
W.W. Rostow, "Leading Sectors and the Take-off." Ch. 1
in W.W. Rostow, The Economics of Take-off into Sustained
Growth (New York: St Martin's Press, 1965).
P. David, "New Light on a Statistical Dark Age: U.S.
Real Product Growth Before 1840," AER, May 1967, pp. 294-
306.
L. Neal and P. Uselding, "Immigration, A Neglected Source
of American Economic Growth: 1790 to 1912," Oxford
Economic Papers, 24(1), March 1972, pp. 68-88.
R. Gallman, "Human Capital in the First 80 Years of the
Republic: How Much Did America Owe the Rest of the
World?" AER, 67(1), pp. 27-31.
C. Transport I: Turnpikes and Steamboats (3 periods)
TEXT, Ch. 4
AEG, Ch. 13, "Internal Transport," pp. 468-91.
D. Agriculture: Bread and Butter
1. The North (2 periods)
TEXT, Ch. 7
F.J. Turner, "The Significance of the Frontier in
American History." Annual Report of the American
Historical Association for the Year 1893. Washington:
Government Printing Office, 1894.
C.H. Danoff, "Farm-Making Costs and the 'Safety Valve':
1850-1860." In V. Carstensen, ed., The Public Lands.
Madison: Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 1963.
P. David, "The Mechanization of Reaping in the
Anti-bellum Midwest." ISSUES, pp. 184-91.
R.D. Ankli, "The Coming of the Reaper." ISSUES, pp.
191-98.
2. The South (3 periods)
TEXT, Ch. 8
U.B. Phillips, "The Economic Cost of Slaveholding in the
Cotton Belt." ISSUES, pp. 154-66.
A.H. Conrad and J.R. Meyer, "The Economics of Slavery in
the Ante-Bellum South." ISSUES, pp. 166-82.
E. Manufacturing: Hand Made (3 periods)
TEXT, Ch. 5
AEG, Ch. 12, "Manufacturing," pp. 418-437.
*********** Midterm Exam: On or about Monday Oct. 15 ***********
F. Transport II: The Age of the Railroad (3 periods)
TEXT, Ch. 13, pp. 274-91.
AEG, Ch. 13, "Internal Transport," pp. 491-531.
R.W. Fogel, "Railroads and American Economic Growth."
REINT, ch. 14.
G. Immigrants: Send me your tired and your poor? (2 periods)
O. Handlin, "The Uprooted," ISSUES, pp. 258-262.
P. Hill, "Relative Skill and Income Levels of Native and
Foreign Born Workers in the United States," EEH, 12(1),
1975, pp. 47-60.
H. BIG Business (2 periods)
AEG, Ch. 12, "Manufacturing," pp. 437-467.
A. Chandler, The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution
in American Business. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ.
Press, 1977. Ch. 9, 10, 11.
S. Slichter, "The Case for Big Business in Business,"
ISSUES, pp. 302-307.
G. Stigler, "The Case Against Big Business," ISSUES, pp.
307-314.
I. National Banking (2 periods)
E. White, Regulation and Reform of the American Banking
System, 1900-1929. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press,
198?, Ch. 1 and 2.
J. The Great Contraction and the New Deal (4 periods)
TEXT, Ch 16.
M. Friedman and A. Schwartz, selections from "The Great
Contraction, 1929-33," ch. 7 in A Monetary History of the
United States. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 1963,
pp. 299-322 and pp. 391-419.
P. Temin, "Conclusions," ch. VI in Did Monetary Forces
Cause the Great Depression? New York, W.W. Norton,
1976.
E.C. Brown, "Fiscal Policy in the 'Thirties: A Reap-
praisal." AER, Dec. 1956.
K. BIG Government (2 periods)
TEXT, pp. 322-325.
T. Ulen, "The Market for Regulation: The ICC from 1887
to 1920." AER, May 1980.
AEG, Ch. 17, "Government and the American Economy."
R. Higgs, "Crisis, Bigger Government, and Ideological
Change: Two Hypotheses on the Ratchet Phenomenon."
EEH, Jan. 1985.
L. The Recent Productivity Slowdown (2 periods)
M. Baily, "What Has Happened to Productivity Growth?"
Science, Oct. 24, 1986, pp. 443-451.
P. David, "The Dynamo and the Computer: An Historical
Perspective on the Modern Productivity Paradox," AER,
80(2), May 1990, pp. 355-361.
M. Income Distribution and Discrimination (2 periods)
TEXT, Ch. 15
P. Lindert and J. Williamson, "Three Centuries of
American Inequality." In P. Uselding, ed., Research in
Economic History, vol. 1. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press,
1976.
C. Goldin, "The Changing Economic Role of Women: A Quan-
titative Approach." Journal of Interdisciplinary
History, Spring 1983.
J. Smith, "Race and Human Capital." AER, Sept. 1984.
********* Final exam: Tuesday, December 11, 2:30 p.m. ********* Discussion Questions - Big Business
Economics 115Richard Sullivan
U.S. Economic HistoryFall 1990
Read Sumner Slichter, "The Case for Big Business in Business" and
George Stigler, "The Case Against Big Business," and be prepared
to discuss them in class. The following questions will be used
to guide the discussion, so think about them before class. The
discussion is not necessarily limited to these questions. If you
have other thoughts or ideas about the readings, please bring
them up in class.
1. Slichter notes that European countries have many industries
whose enterprises that are small compared to the same industries
in the U.S. How does he explain the relative bigness of U.S.
enterprises?
2. Slichter notes two proposals to limit the size of businesses.
What are they? Why does he think they are bad ideas?
3. An important leg of Slichter's argument is that competition in
concentrated in industries is particularly vigorous. In what
form does this competition take? What does Slichter point to to
support this contention?
4. Stigler defines big business in terms of large absolute size
and large relative to the industry. Why is such a definition
necessary?
5. Stigler agrees with Slichter that big businesses compete with
each other. So what is the harm in having big business?
6. To what does Stigler attribute the popular attitude that is
unfavorable to big business, and favorable to big labor and big
government? Do you think this is accurate today?
7. Stigler disagrees with Slichter regarding the value of
corporate research and development. Why?
8. Stigler recommends breaking up large firms. Won't this lead
to inefficient high-cost production? Why or why not? Discussion Questions - Immigrant Skill Levels
Economics 115Richard Sullivan
U.S. Economic HistoryFall 1990
Read Oscar Handlin, "The Uprooted," and Peter Hill, "Relative
Skill and Income Levels of Native and Foreign Born Workers in the
United States," and be prepared to discuss them in class.
The following questions will be used to guide the discussion, so
think about them before class. The discussion is not necessarily
limited to these questions. If you have other thoughts or ideas
about the readings, please bring them up in class.
1. Handlin describes the labor market which the immigrant
faced. What were the important factors that directed immigrants
in the labor market?
2. According to Handlin, the low wages paid to immigrant men
forced other family members to work. Is having other family
members work necessarily bad? Handlin notes one negative long-
run consequence. What was it?
3. Immigrants faced economic uncertainties in places other than
the labor market. What were the important uncertainties,
according to Handlin?
4. Hill uses wages as a measure of the skill levels of workers.
Explain in your own words why this method is justified. What
problems do you see with wages as a measure of immigrant skills?
5. Summarize the results of comparing immigrant and native skill
levels in manufacturing.
6. Why are the results from question 5 not necessarily
representative of all immigrant skill levels? What does Hill do
to alleviate this problem?
7. Explain in your own words the method Hill uses to calculate
indices of immigrant skill levels.
8. Summarize the results of Hill's calculation of indices of
immigrant skill levels. Were immigrants primarily tired, poor,
and unskilled? Discussion Questions - The Changing Economic Role of Women
Economics 115
Richard Sullivan
U.S. Economic History
Fall 1990
Read Claudia Golden, "The Changing Economic Role of Women: A
Quantitative Approach," and be prepared to discuss it in class.
Note: pages 725 to 730 have some statistical work that will be
difficult to understand (unless you paid close attention to
regression analysis in your statistics class!). You should just
skim that part of the article. The following questions will be
used to guide the discussion, so think about them before class.
The discussion is not necessarily limited to these questions. If
you have other thoughts or ideas about the reading, please bring
them up in class.
1. The article focuses on the labor force participation rates
(LFPR) of women over the last century. Summarize the course of
women's LFPR as given in the article.
2. One popular notion about the work experience of women is
"career interruption:" women begin their careers when single,
and they interrupt their career -- that is they stop working --
when they reach the stage of their life where they have children,
only to resume their career as the children grow older. What
empirical evidence has been used to support this notion? Golden
argues against this as a general characterization of working
women's experiences (pp. 712-718). Why? And why is this
important?
3. Theories by non-economists that explain the change in the
LFPR of women are given on page 710. In your own words,
summarize those theories.
4. Theories by economists that explain the change in the LFPR of
women are given on pages 722 to 725.
a. How does Richard Easterlin explain the changes seen
after World War II?
b. Jacob Mincer notes that a higher wage for women implies
both a substitution effect and an income effect on a women's
decision to supply labor. Explain income and substitution
effect, and why the substitution effect must have dominated
when the LFPR of women began to rise.
5. The theories from questions 3 and 4 focus on "point-in-time"
variables, like the demand for women workers, men's earnings, or
the wages women could earn when they did work. Golden does not
deny that these may be important. But she does note that these
theories ignore "life-cycle" determinants of women's decisions to
work. What are the important life-cycle determinants of labor
supply decisions?
6. When was the break in educational attainment for women, as
documented in pages 718 to 720? How did this life-cycle effect
ultimately effect the LFPR of women, and when?
7. The participation of women in the labor force has many
implications, implications that may or may not relate to the
LFPR. What wider issues and trends -- economic and social -- are
related to women working? Is the trend in LFPR good or bad
proxies for those issues? Short Essay Assignment 1
The basic aim of this assignment is to get you to carefully read
and comprehend an article. Your comprehension is aided by putting
the author's (or authors') thoughts into your own words. Essay 1
is a summary of an assigned reading.
If the last four digits of your social security number is even, you
should read
L. Neal and P. Uselding, "Immigration, A Neglected Source
of American Economic Growth: 1790 to 1912."
If the last four digits of your social security number is odd, you
should read
R. Gallman, "Human Capital in the First 80 Years of the
Republic: How Much Did America Owe the Rest of the
World?"
Write a short essay that summarizes the article. Pay particular
attention to the following questions:
1. What is the thesis of the article?
2. What are the major points of the article, and how do they
support the thesis? 3. What evidence and/or logic is used to
support the major points of the article?
The essay should be no longer than 3 typewritten, double-spaced
pages.
GRADING
Grades will be determined by both content and clarity. My
assessment of content will include how well you follow the
assignment, and how accurate and complete you are in your summary.
My assessment of clarity will include organization, wording,
grammar, and spelling. Both content and clarity receive equal
weights.
Due date: Wednesday, September 12, 1990. Short Essay Assignment 2
The basic aim of this assignment is to develope your judgement
concerning the content of an article. You will need to carefully
read and comprehend the article, then think about the importance of
what you read. Essay 2 asks you to address the following
questions: What is the most important idea presented in the
article? Why?
If the last four digits of your social security number is even, you
should read
F.J. Turner, "The Significance of the Frontier in
American History."
If the last four digits of your social security number is odd, you
should read
C.H. Danhof, "Farm-Making Costs and the 'Safety Valve':
1850-1860."
Write a short essay that presents the single most important idea in
the article. Why do you think that this idea is important?
You should use your knowledge of economics and history as you
appraise the ideas in the article. Note that there is no single
answer to the question--different people see importance in
different ways. The quality of your essay will be determined by
the extent that you bring your knowledge to bear on the question of
importance.
The essay should be no longer than 3 typewritten, double-spaced
pages.
Due date: Monday, September 24, 1990. Short Essay Assignment 3
The basic aim of this assignment is to get you to think about the
flaws and weak spots in an article. You need to carefully read,
comprehend, and think about the thesis and major points in the
article. Then think about what is wrong or weak about the logic
and evidence used in the article. Essay 3 is a critique of an
assigned reading.
If the last four digits of your social security number is even, you
should read
U.B. Phillips, "The Economic Cost of Slaveholding in the
Cotton Belt."
If the last four digits of your social security number is odd, you
should read
A.H. Conrad and J.R. Meyer, "The Economics of Slavery in
the Ante-Bellum South."
Write a short essay that critiques the article. Are there major
assumptions that are unjustified? Are there any logical flaws? Is
the evidence irrelevant to the argument, or are there places where
more evidence is needed?
As in Essay 2, the quality of your essay will be determined by the
extent that you bring your knowledge of economics and history to
bear on the weak points in the article. Note that you may be a
devil's advocate: you may basically agree with the author(s), but
at the same time you may argue against the article.
The essay should be no longer than 3 typewritten, double-spaced
pages.
Due date: Monday, October 3, 1990. U.S. Economic History Richard Sullivan
Exam 1 October 17, 1990
Instructions. Write your answers to Part 1 in the space pro-
vided, and write your answers to Parts 2 and 3 in your blue
book. Do not answer more questions than the instructions indi-
cate; if you do, I will disallow one of your correct answers.
You have 50 minutes. GOOD LUCK!
Part 1. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate numbers. Choose
5 out of the 6. PUT AN "X" IN THE ONE YOU CHOOSE NOT TO ANSWER.
Each are worth 2 points, for a total of 10 points. (This should
take less than 5 minutes.)
1. The annual growth rate of U.S. real GNP from
1960 to 1986 was ................................................................-
...............___________
2. The annual growth rate of U.S. real GNP per
person from 1773 to 1840 was
.........................................................__________
_
3. The annual growth rate of U.S. real GNP per
person from 1840 to 1960 was
.........................................................__________
_
4. The annual growth rate of U.S. real GNP per person
from 1960 to 1986 was ................................................................-
......___________
5. The U.S. population in 1986 was
.........................................................._________
__
6. The level of U.S. nominal GNP per person in 1986 was
..................___________
Part 2. Summary. Choose five of the following six articles, and
write one paragraph on each, summarizing the main points of the
articles. Each are worth 10 points, for a total of 50 points.
(These should take no more than 5 minutes each, for a total of 25
minutes.)
1. R. Fogel, "The Reunification of Economic History with
Economic Theory." ISSUES, pp. 15-20.
2. S. Kuznets, "Notes on the Pattern of U.S. Economic
Growth." REINT, ch. 2.
3. W.W. Rostow, "Leading Sectors and the Take-off." Ch. 1
in W.W. Rostow, The Economics of Take-off into
Sustained Growth (New York: St Martin's Press, 1965).
4. L. Neal and P. Uselding, "Immigration, A Neglected
Source of American Economic Growth: 1790 to 1912,"
Oxford Economic Papers, 24(1), March 1972, pp. 68-88.
5. C.H. Danhof, "Farm-Making Costs and the 'Safety
Valve': 1850-1860." In V. Carstensen, ed., The Public
Lands. Madison: Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 1963.
6. R.D. Ankli, "The Coming of the Reaper." ISSUES, pp.
191-98.
Part 3. Essay. Answer the following question. It is worth a
total of 40 points. (This should take about 20 minutes; it
would be worth your while to spend a few minutes thinking about
your answer before you begin writing).
It has frequently been suggested that since the U.S. was "not a
national economy" until the twentieth century, scholars concerned
with economic growth and development prior to the twentieth
century should focus on regional, rather than national, patterns
and trends. From what we have studied so far this semester, what
would lead you to agree with this statement? What would lead you
to disagree?
Explain your answers! U.S. Economic History Richard Sullivan
Final Exam December 11, 1990
Instructions. Write your answers in your blue book. Do not
answer more questions than the instructions indicate; if you do,
I will disallow one of your correct answers. The exam is worth a
total of 120 points. You have 120 minutes.
Part 1. Summary. Choose six of the following seven articles,
and write one paragraph on each, summarizing the main points of
the articles. Each are worth 10 points, for a total of 60
points. (These should take no more than 10 minutes each, for a
total of 60 minutes.)
1. U.B. Phillips, "The Economic Cost of Slaveholding in
the Cotton Belt."
2. A.H. Conrad and J.R. Meyer, "The Economics of Slavery
in the Ante-Bellum South."
3. R.W. Fogel, "Railroads and American Economic Growth."
4. P. Hill, "Relative Skill and Income Levels of Native
and Foreign Born Workers in the United States."
5. E.C. Brown, "Fiscal Policy in the 'Thirties: A Reap-
praisal."
6. R. Higgs, "Crisis, Bigger Government, and Ideological
Change: Two Hypotheses on the Ratchet Phenomenon."
7. J. Smith, "Race and Human Capital."
Part 2. Essay. Answer two of the following three
questions. They are worth 30 points each, for a total of 60
points. (These should take about 30 minutes per question; it
would be worth your while to spend a few minutes thinking about
your answer before you begin writing).
1. The U.S. banking system underwent significant changes over
the course of the 18th and 19th century. Moreover, develop-
ments in banking influenced the U.S. economy.
a. For what major purpose did Congress establish the National
Banking System? Was the purpose accomplished?
b. Define system risk and unit risk in banking. How did the
establishment of the Federal Reserve Bank affect system and
unit risk?
c. How did the rise of bank failures starting in October of
1930 contribute to the severity of the Great Depression?
d. Friedman and Schwartz write that the "men who established
the Federal Reserve System...understood very well the
problem raised by a panic attempt to convert deposits into
currency, and they provided ample powers in the [Federal
Reserve Act] to deal with such a panic." According to
Friedman and Schwartz, why did the Federal Reserve fail to
prevent the banking panics of 1930-33?
2. One of the outstanding features of the factor endowment of
the United States is land and natural resource abundance.
This fact has been used in many ways to explain many
features of U.S. economic development. Write an essay that
outlines the various ways that land and natural resource
abundance has impacted the course of U.S. economic
development.
3. Suppose you are writing an economic history of the United
States from 1787 to the present. What chronological
demarcation would you impose on the "seamless web" of that
time span? Justify your scheme, indicating any general
principles that would guide your choice of periodization.
Also, indicate any reservations you may have about it. College of the Holy Cross
Economics 115 Prof. Richard Sullivan
Economic History Fall 1990
of the United States
Instructions for Term Paper
The term paper is an exercise both in applying economics to a
historical question and in writing. The grade for the paper will
be determined by both content and clarity. Expect to write a 10
page paper that draws upon at least 3 references. This handout
will give you an idea of what I expect of a good paper, and will
explain how the paper will be graded.
Content
You should find some historical question about economics of
interest to you. You should pose the question, and give some
indication of why it is important. You should take a position as
to what you think the answer to the question is. The position you
take is the thesis of the paper, and the rest of the paper should
explain why you believe your thesis. Oftentimes students avoid
taking a position on a question, and simply describe how others
have answered the question. A good paper will require you to sort
out the various answers and judge what the best answer is in light
of logic and evidence.
Example. Question: did labor scarcity in the 19th century
cause American producers to use extraordinarily large amounts of
capital? Motivation: capital-intensive production may require
advanced technology and so American producers may have had a
technological edge. Thesis: the question is true only for a
subset of American industries.
Some other possible topics are listed below.
The body of the paper should explain why you believe your
thesis. You may explain why other answers to the question are
implausible. You need to explain the logic of your position, and
if possible, present evidence to support it. You should stress
interpretation of ideas and evidence. Narrative and descriptive
material is useful, but can add unnecessary length to your paper,
so keep it to a minimum. A good paper requires you to analyze,
synthesize, and critically evaluate the ideas and evidence that are
relevant to the question you are probing. Since this is an
economics course, I expect you to draw upon you knowledge of
economics in answering the question you pose. Conclude the paper
by summarizing the ideas and evidence that support the position you
take in the paper.
Clarity
Unity of thought is the prime requirement for good writing. Use an
outline to organize your thoughts before you begin writing. Have
the narrative flow from the introduction (which should state the
question, motivation, and thesis) to the main argument directly and
logically. The logic should support your position with ideas and
evidence. Look over your first draft, searching out the topic
sentences in each paragraph, and see how the ideas and evidence are
linked to one another. Are the ideas explained coherently? Most
of good writing is in the organization, coherence, and relevance of
your ideas. At this stage, extraneous material should be evident
and should be deleted. Do not include extraneous material simply
to lengthen the paper, because it will lower your grade.
Pay attention to rules of grammar. Choose words carefully and
spell correctly. Use footnotes or endnotes to reference ideas,
quotes, and evidence drawn from your sources. Consult some
standard source (e.g., K. Turabian, Students Guide for Writing
College Papers) for rules of grammar and techniques of footnoting.
Another valuable resource is the College's Writing Workshop,
located in Fenwick 217. Student tutors in the workshop can help
you with the stylistic aspects of your paper.
Policies
1. Length. The paper should be no longer than 10 pages including
footnotes or endnotes. (Tables or figures on separate pages are
not counted in the page limitation.) This limit means you need to
choose a narrow topic to write about, so choose carefully.
2. Plagiarism. The College defines plagiarism as the deliberate
act of taking words, ideas, data, illustrative material, or
statements of someone else, without full and proper acknowledge-
ment, and presenting them as one's own. Plagiarism is a serious
offense. If you plagiarize you will receive a zero for the
assignment, and more serious consequences are possible. The
offense will become part of your permanent record at Holy Cross.
You can avoid plagiarism simply by referencing the sources you
use in the paper, and there is no reason not to cite your sources.
While originality will be valued, I do not expect you to present
completely new ideas in your paper. Instead, you will find
yourself restating arguments of other authors in your own words.
But give credit where credit is due, and cite the sources for your
ideas.
3. Grading. I will use the following guidelines for grading your
paper. The paper receives the highest grade for which it qualifies
in both clarity and content.
PAPER GRADING GUIDELINES
Grade: A
Clarity: The paper is clear, well-organized and well-worded.
There are no serious errors in "mechanics" (grammar, spelling, use
of words). The piece has some stylistic "spark."
Content: The instructions in the assignment are followed. The
topic is discussed in a meaningful way, with both logic and
evidence. The economic aspects of your thesis are discussed
accurately and adequately.
Grade: B
Clarity: The paper is generally well-organized, but occasional
mechanical errors and awkward constructions disrupt the flow of the
discussion.
Content: The discussion is not complete and neglects important
aspects of the topic. The paper is mainly descriptive and lacks
adequate economic analysis.
Grade: C
Clarity: Weakness in organization and/or mechanical errors are
sufficiently serious to make it difficult for the reader to
understand the paper. Spark is definitely absent.
Content: Parts of the discussion are inaccurate or so incomplete
as to convey an inaccurate impression to the reader. There is
little content which supports the main thesis of the paper.
4. Deadlines. You must submit a brief description (100-200 words)
of the proposed paper along with a bibliography no later than
Monday, Oct. 15. TWO COPIES (one original and one photocopy) of
the final version of the paper is due on Friday, Nov. 30.
5. Opportunity to rewrite the paper. If you can submit you paper
to me no later than Friday, Nov. 16, I will read it and provide you
with comments. You can then rewrite the paper and hand in a final
version that incorporates my comments.
Possible Topics
The reading you do for this class may suggest topics for your
paper. You may do a paper directly relevant to a subject we
discuss in class, but you must do reading that is in addition to
the readings assigned for class. Consult the reading lists at the
ends of the chapters of your textbook, or ask me. The following
are suggestions, and far from exhaustive.
Was the Constitution framed mainly to protect moneyed interests?
Were slaveowners rational in their treatment of slaves?
Did President Jackson's policies towards the Second Bank of the
United States result in poor macroeconomic performance in the 1830s
and 1840s?
Was the Free Banking era (1840-63) a period where deregulation of
banking worked well?
The economic impact of the iron industry on nineteenth century
American economic growth.
A critical evaluation of Matthew Josephson's "robber baron"
thesis. Were the robber barons thieves or progressive and produc-
tive businessmen?
The nature and role of "property rights" in American land policy
and western economic development.
The causes and consequences of the decline of indentured servitude
in the United States.
The fate of the freedmen in the emancipated south: the economic
consequences of sharecropping and other southern land tenency
systems.
An assessment of "push versus pull' factors in 1800-1860 immi-
gration.
Were farmers justified in their radical protests in the late 19th
century?
Was the productive system that was based on slave labor efficient?
Has the U.S. economy become more stable since World War II?
Antitrust legislation and the supreme court versus the changing
structure of the economy as the principal determinant of the merger
movement, 1890-1950.
Were the attempts made by the government to end inflation through
wage and price controls successful?
Reasons for the ultimate failure of radical labor movements in the
American economy.
Impediments to economic growth in the post Civil War southern
economy. Why was the south an "underdeveloped economy" well into
the twentieth century?