In his travels to the United States in the 1830s, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the equality of conditions that existed relative to the Old World. The historical record suggests that equality of conditions has not always been a feature of the American economic landscape. This contrasts with the experience with economic growth, which has been sustained (with a few exceptions) over the last more than 200 years.

In the context of Tocqueville's Democracy in America, we will consider the evidence for his observations through the middle of the nineteenth century and whether his projections survived the advent of industrial capitalism and structural changes in the American and global economies. We will cover the application of economic methodologies — including theories of growth and analysis of data — to understand economic and institutional change from the American Revolution through the Civil War, the emergence of the modern economy, and periods of crisis in American history (e.g., the Great Depression and World War II). We will consider the benefits and consequences of growth for different social groups as well as reasons for optimism or pessimism about the future of growth and inequality.

Students will (i) apply economic theory to analyze historical events, (ii) use historical data to evaluate causal arguments, (iii) analyze the relationship between economic growth and inequality, and (iv) put current policy issues in historical context. At the end of the course, students will have a better understanding of the development of the American economy, determinants of economic growth and distribution, and challenges facing the US economy.

All materials (lectures, required readings, etc) will be available on this page. You should complete readings before we cover the topic in class. I recommend A New Economic View of American History from Colonial Times to 1940 by Jeremy Atack and Peter Passell to learn more about US economic history.

attendance: Attendance is required. Missing more than three classes will result in a full letter grade reduction of your final grade (e.g., an "A" becomes a "B"). Each additional three classes missed will result in a further letter grade reduction of your final grade.

literature review (10%): Students are required to find a research article published in the Journal of Economic History, Explorations in Economic History, or Economic History Review for each topic. Students must identify table or figure from the article, give a brief description of the table or figure, and provide a proper citation.

government document (15%): Students are required to find and describe a government document related to US economic history in Norlin Library. Students must provide evidence that they came into physical contact with the document in the library, describe the document, and discuss why it is useful for understanding an aspect of US economic history.

analysis (15%): Students are required to propose a question or hypothesis and then use the Historical Statistics of the United States to answer the question or test the hypothesis. Students must download a data series, construct a figure or table, and discuss how it is useful for addressing their question or hypothesis.

exams (60% total = 25% midterm + 35% final): There will be one in-class midterm exam and a final exam on the date and time set by the University. All exams are cumulative.

I encourage you to attend office hours or to setup a time to meet outside of office hours. You should come to office hours prepared with questions or ready to discuss course material. Office hours are the appropriate forum for addressing questions about course material or policies. Use email to setup a time to meet outside of office hours, if necessary.