American Economic History (8th Edition)

America’s present economy, understood through its past.

Rich in both quantitative techniques and economic theory, American Economic History demonstrates how an understanding of our past can illuminate economic issues that face society today and in the future. In simple, elegant language, this text walks readers through four centuries of political, social, and economic history, focusing on laws and institutions and emphasizing current economic topics.

The eighth edition has been updated and revised, and includes expanded discussions on population, health, and labor; education; the automobile industry; income and taxes; social security; unemployment; regulation and the financial industry; and the history of economic recessions.

Rich in both quantitative techniques and economic theory,American Economic Historydemonstrates how an understanding of our past can illuminate economic issues that face society today and in the future.

Overseas Empire; Colonial Development; America on the Eve of Revolution; Gaining Independence; Westward Expansion; Population and Labor Force; Law and the Rise of Classical American Capitalism; Transportation: Internal Improvements and Urbanization; Agricultural Expansion: The Conflict of Two Systems on the Land; The Debate Over Slavery; The Early Industrial Sector; The Financial System and the International Economy; Economic Effects of the Civil War;  Railroads and Economic Development; Post-Civil War Agriculture; Population Growth and the Atlantic Migration; Industrialization, Entrepreneurship, and Urban Growth; Big Business and Government Intervention; Financial Developments 1863-1914; The Great Economy and Its International Relations; Labor and the Law; The Command Economy Emerges: World War I; “Normalcy: 1919-1929; The Great Depression; The New Deal; The “Prosperity of Wartime; Before the New Frontier: The Postwar Economy; Population, Health and Labor; Postwar Industry and Agriculture; To the New Millennium and Beyond; Does Our Past Have a Future?

For those interested in learning how our present economy works by exploring its past.