Course Description
In-depth treatment of particular episodes in economic history, such as the Industrial Revolution and the Great Depression.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Students are expected to achieve standards of scholarship
consistent with study at the masters level. Such students will be
expected to read more extensively and integrate materials more
thoroughly than undergraduate students, and will be graded with
higher standards and expectations. Examples include additional
readings summarized in a written report, a careful review of
primary research with an application to a relevant topic, or
other projects that apply knowledge gained to specific problems.
Athena Title
TOPICS ECON HISTORY
Non-Traditional Format
The course will be taught combining lectures with seminar-style discussions of assigned readings.
Prerequisite
ECON 4010
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Deepen students understanding of and appreciation for important episodes in economics history, and how these episodes helped to shape modern policies and institutions. Give students opportunities to apply economic theory to such episodes to enhance understanding of both history and theory.
Topical Outline
Industrial Revolution: Population movements and growth Agricultural revolution Enclosure movement Commercial and transportation revolutions Cotton and iron industries Technology and the workforce Money, capital and banks Free trade and imperialism The role of government Why Great Britain The spread of industrialization America's industrial revolution The standard of living Industrialization and the environment The Great Depression: Breadth and depth Institutional background Dress rehearsal: 1920-21 The Great Bull Market The Great Crash Banking crises and the great contraction The international picture Hoover and Laissez-Faire The New Deal The NRA War and Recovery Theories and lessons