American Economic History
History 454/654
Professor James Oberly
HHH 713 (Tel. 836-4599/836-5501 Email: )
Office Hours: MWF 10:00 to 10:50; 1:00 to 1:50; 3:00 to 3:30 (and by appointment)
Course Goals
History 454/654 examines one part of the history of the United States, the history of “getting and spending.” We focus on the changing mix over time of the factors of production: capital and the investment market; labor and work; and finally, land and natural resources. We also consider this history against the backdrop of questions that scientists and humanists alike ask about the combination of efficiency and fairness in the distribution of the bounty of the American economy.
Course Components
1) Assigned Readings—There is one assigned text, Jeremy Atack and Peter Passell’s A New Economic View of American History, which you may rent from the University Bookstore. Suggested paperbacks for purchase include Linda Barrington, The Other Side of the Frontier, and Robert Fogel, Without Consent or Contract. [Truth in royalties note: I will donate any royalties received for sales of the Barrington book to the UWEC Foundation.]
2) Class Attendance--Lectures, class discussions, computer lab work, etc. will start where the reading leaves off, so come to class having read the assignments.
3) Student Research--A 400-level course in history carries with it the obligation for the student to “do” history through active study and writing. I have devised two assignments that will have you doing economic history in different ways:
a) Historiographical review of the state of the profession of economic history. To get our semester launched, I will ask each student to locate, read, and analyze a past presidential address to the Economic History Association, the leading professional association for scholars practicing economic history. Each student will share in class the substance of the topic of the presidential address, and then build on that oral report to produce a review of allied literature on the field. We will have a work day devoted to this project on Sept. 8th, at which time a more detailed handout will be distributed. This project will be due Oct. 1.
b) Database analysis of a significant economic history series. Economic historians are great ones for sharing their databases with colleagues. UW-Eau Claire’s membership in the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) allows us to borrow such databases for classroom use. We will regularly schedule Friday class periods in the HHH 201 computer lab to analyze a series of databases that are the basic source material for analyzing the history of the American economy. Each student will pick one database and choose a problem for analysis and proceed to write a report on the findings. Again, we will have a detailed set of handouts on how to produce this project. This project will be due Dec. 13.
4. Exams—I ask that each student undertake to write two review essays of about five pages in length that address a major question raised in the readings. In effect, this is a set of take-home exams. These essays will be due after Week 9 and during Final Exam Week.
Note 1: I am hopeful that we can make use of a class Web page to share our work in History 454, and perhaps a class discussion list as well.
Note 2: The Atack and Passell text is written by two economists, not historians. They often make use of economic theory to explain history. If you are a history major, with only a modest or minimal background in economic theory, don’t be intimidated. Every student, no matter his or her major, can succeed in the class.
Note 3: Graduate students taking History 654 should meet with me after the first class to discuss additional assignments appropriate to a graduate level class.
Grading
Your grade will be based on your performance in completing your oral and written work. The formula is each take-home exam counts for 25% of the course grade, and the historiographical and database analysis projects also count for 25% of the grade. Depending on class interest, I might offer students an extra credit option of researching local Eau Claire business and economic history.
Course Outline and Reading Assignments
Sep. 3 Introduction
Sep. 8 Research Day (McIntyre Library, IMC Classroom, Room # 2010; Atack and Passell,
chapter 1)
Sep. 10 EHA Presidential Address report summaries, Part I
Sep. 13 EHA Presidential Address report summaries, Part II
Sep. 15 The Indian Economy (Barrington, selected chapters)
Sep. 17 The Indian Economy (Barrington, selected chapters)
Sep. 20 The Colonial and Revolutionary Economy (A & P, ch. 2)
Sep. 22 The Colonial and Revolutionary Economy, continued (A & P, ch. 3)
Sep. 24 Database Analysis---HHH 201
Sep. 27 The Jacksonian Economy (A & P, ch. 4)
Sep. 29 The Jacksonian Economy, continued (A & P, ch. 5)
Oct. 1 Database Analysis---HHH 201
Note: EHA Presidential Address Project due
Oct. 4 The Industrial Revolution (A & P, ch. 6)
Oct. 6 The Industrial Revolution, continued (A & P, ch. 7)
Oct. 8 Database Analysis---HHH 201
Oct. 11 The Northern Agricultural Economy (A & P, chs. 8 and 9)
Oct. 13 The Northern Agricultural Economy, continued (A & P, ch. 10)
Oct. 15 Database Analysis—HHH 201
Oct. 18 The Economics of American Slavery (A & P, ch. 11; Fogel, chs. 1-6)
Oct. 20 The Economics of American Slavery, continued (A & P, ch. 12)
Oct. 22 Database Analysis—HHH 201
Oct. 25 The Economics of Civil War and Reconstruction (A & P, ch. 13; Fogel, chs. 7-10 and
“Afterword”)
Oct. 27 The Economics of Civil War and Reconstruction, continued (A & P, chs. 14 and 15)
Oct. 29 Database Analysis—HHH 201
Note: Take-home Midterm Exam Essay due
Nov. 1 The American Railroad (A & P, ch. 16)
Nov. 3 The American Railroad, continued
Nov. 5 Database Analysis—HHH 201
Nov. 8 The Industrial Corporation (A & P, ch. 17)
Nov. 10 The Industrial Corporation, continued (A & P, ch. 18)
Nov. 12 Database Analysis—HHH 201
Nov. 15 The American Worker (A & P, ch. 19)
Nov. 17 The American Worker, continued (A & P, ch. 20)
Nov. 19 Database Analysis—HHH 201
Nov. 22 The Great Depression (A & P, ch. 21)
Nov. 24 The Great Depression, continued (A & P, ch. 22)
Nov. 29 The War Economy (A & P, ch. 23)
Dec. 1 The War Economy, continued
Dec. 3 Database Analysis—HHH 201
Dec. 6 Prospects and Problems of the Post-Cold War American Economy
Dec. 8 Prospects and Problems of the Post-Cold War American Economy, continued
Dec. 10 Database Analysis—HHH 201
Dec. 13 Discussion of Database Analysis Projects [Projects due]
Final Exam Week: Second Take-home essay due.
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