Suspended in 2025/26
EH304      One Unit
The Economic History of North America: from Colonial Times to the Cold War

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

Requisites

Additional requisites:

Students taking the course as an outside option must have completed at least one other economic history course.

The course surveys major developments in the economic history of North America between 1600 and 2000. Colonial development; the American Revolution; Early North American Industry; Slavery; Westward expansion; the American Civil War; Regional Economic Development; Railroads and growth; International and internal trade; Finance and banking in the 19th century; Migration and labour markets in the 19th century world wars and North American Economies; the Great Depression; Post-war economic development and policy.

20 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.
20 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn and Winter Term.

At least one essay and a mock examination.

• Atack and Passell, A New Economic View of American History (1994);
• Engerman and Gallman, The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, vols 1,2,3 (2000);
• Hughes, American Economic History (1990);
• Haines and Steckel (eds.), A Population History of North America. (2000).

Exam (70%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period

Essay (30%, 3000 words)

The course is assessed by a summative essay in AT (30%) and an exam (70%) in spring exam period.