Economics 375

Economic History of the United States

Fall 2002

Updated 11/26/02

Readings.

Books available at bookstore and in the Reserve Book Room.

1. Jeremy Atack and Peter Passell, A New View of Economic History, 2nd Edition (must buy)
2. Thomas Sowell, Ethnic America (must buy)
3. Robert Fogel, Without Consent or Contract, The Rise and Fall of American Slavery (must buy)
4. Carlos M. Cipolla, The Economic History of World Population, 7th Edition (on reserve) Zip Download of Cippola
5. William McNeil, Plagues and Peoples, Chapter 5 (on reserve)
6. Robert Higgs, Crisis and Leviathan, Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government. (on reserve)
7. Paul Johnson, A History of the American People (must buy)

Books available online.

1. Peter George, Emergence of Industrial America (on reserve)
2. Roger Ransom and Richard Sutch, One Kind of Freedom, The Economic Consequences of Emancipation (on reserve)

Journal Articles available online.

Note: The jstor.org site requires that the request come from a an approved IP number e.g. a CSUN network connection. If you are trying to view the article from off campus use the Download File link. This requires Adobe Acrobat Reader be installed on you computer. 

1. Kenneth Ng and Nancy Virts, The Black-White Income Gap in 1880 
2. Kenneth Ng and Nancy Virts, The Value of Freedom (free) Download File
3. Robert William Fogel, New Sources and New Techniques for the Study of Secular Trends in Nutritional Status, Health, Mortality and the Process of Aging Order copy by fax (cost $14.95)
4. Robert William Fogel, Economic Growth, Population Theory, and Physiology: The Bearing of Long-Term Processes on the Making of Economic Policy Download File
5. Paul A. David, "The Growth of Real Product in the United States Before 1840: New Evidence, Controlled Conjectures (free) " Download File 
6. Robert William Fogel, Nutrition and the Decline in Mortality since 1700: Some Preliminary Findings
7. Claudia Goldin and Frank Lewis, The Economic Cost of the American Civil War: Estimates and Implications (free) , Journal of Economic History, June 1975. Download File
8. Claudia Goldin. The Economics of Emancipation (free) , Journal of Economic History, March 1973. Download File
9. Richard Sutch, "The Treatment Received by American Slaves: A Critical Review of the Evidence Presented in Time on the Cross.'
10. Paul David, The Growth of Real Product in the United States Before 1840: New Evidence, Controlled Conjectures Journal of Economic History, June 1967. Download File.

Recreational Reading (related to class but not required)

1. John Keegan, The Face of Battle, A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme (on reserve)
2. David Halberstam, The Best and the Brightest (on reserve)

Course Outline, Reading, and Sample Exams.

Lecture Notes: Introduction

1. Economic Growth

1. Atack and Passel, A New Economic View of American History, Chapter 1.
2. Carlos Cipolla, The Economic History of World Population, 7th Edition Zip Download of Cippola
3. Emergence of Industrial America, Chapters 1 and 2.
4. Optional Reading: Paul A. David, "The Growth of Real Product in the United States Before 1840: New Evidence, Controlled Conjectures (free) " Download File 
5. Recreational Readings:   John Keegan, The Face of Battle, A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme, David Halberstam, The Best and the Brightest.

Sample Economic Growth Exams: Fall 2001, Fall 2000, Fall 1998, Fall 1997, Fall 1996

Lecture Notes: Economic Growth

2. The Increase in Life Expectancy

1. Atack and Passel, A New Economic View of American History, Chapter 8.
2. Robert William Fogel, Nutrition and the Decline in Mortality since 1700: Some Preliminary Findings
3. Robert William Fogel, New Sources and New Techniques for the Study of Secular Trends in Nutritional Status, Health, Mortality and the Process of Aging
4. Robert William Fogel, Economic Growth, Population Theory, and Physiology: The Bearing of Long-Term Processes on the Making of Economic Policy Download File

Sample Life Expectancy Exams: Fall 2001, Fall 1999, Fall 1998, Fall 1997, Fall 1996

Lecture Notes: Life Expectancy

Life Expectancy Exam Fall 2002  Answer

3. The Economics of the Slavery

1. Robert Fogel, Without Consent or Contract
2. Richard Sutch, The Treatment Received by American Slaves: A Critical Review of the Evidence Presented in Time on the Cross
3. Atack and Passell, A New Economic View of American History, Chapters 10, 11, and 12.
4. William McNeil,Plagues and Peoples, Chapter 5.
5. If you are a little weak on your American history read a quick primer on black history.  

Lecture Notes: Slavery and the Civil War

4. The Civil War

1. Atack and Passel, A New Economic View of American History, Chapter 13.
2. Claudia Goldin and Frank Lewis, The Economic Cost of the American Civil War: Estimates and Implications (free) , Journal of Economic History, June 1975. Download File
3. Claudia Goldin. The Economics of Emancipation (free) , Journal of Economic History, March 1973. Download File
4. Recreational Reading: Article about rifles used in the Civil War, John Keegan, The Face of Battle, A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme.

5. The Effect of Emancipation of Black Living Standards

1. Roger Ransom and Richard Sutch, One Kind of Freedom, The Economic Consequences of Emancipation
2. Kenneth Ng and Nancy Virts, The Value of Freedom
3. Kenneth Ng and Nancy Virts, The Black-White Income Gap in 1880 
4. Atack and Passell, Chapter 14

Sample Slavery, Civil War Exams, and Emancipation Exams:Fall 2001, Fall 2000, Fall 1999, Fall 1997, Fall 1996

Slavery and the Civil War Writing Assignment, Due November 26th.

6. The Role of Immigration in American Economic Growth

1. Thomas Sowell, Ethnic America
2. Paul Johnson, Part 6.

Lecture Notes: Immigration

7. The Growth of Government

1. Robert Higgs, Crisis and Leviathan
2. Paul Johnson, Part 7 and 8.

Honors Writing Assignment

Grading

Grades will be based on a series of in class exams, take home assignments, and quizzes.

There will be no plus/minus grading.