The Economics Of Slavery And Other Studies In Econometric History

Historical essays on profitability of slavery in the ante-bellum South, income growth in 19th century America, and the Great Depression in the British economy.

How are economists and historians to explain what happened in history? What statistical inferences can be drawn from historical data? The authors believe that explanation in history can be identified with the problems of prediction in a probabilistic universe. Using this approach, the historian can act upon his a priori information and his judgment of what is unique and particular in each past event, even with data hitherto considered to be intractable for statistical treatment. In essence, the book is an argument for and a demonstration of the point of view that the restricted approach of "measurement without theory" is not necessary in history, or at least not necessary in economic history. After two chapters of theoretical introduction, the authors explore the meanings and implications of evidence, explanation and proof in history by applying econometric methods to the analysis of three major problems in 19th century economic history--the profitability of slavery in the antebellum South, income growth and development in the United States during the 1800's, and The Great Depression in the British economy; also included is a postscript on growth reassessing some current arguments in the light of the findings of these papers. The book presents an original and provocative approach to historical problems that have long plagued economists and historians and provides the reader with a new approach to these and similar questions.

Study of historical aspects of the economy of Southern regions of the USA, with particular reference to Black forced labour and the economic implications thereof. Bibliographys.

A stimulating analysis of the society and economy in the slave south.

First Published in 2004. Did medieval Muslims have the concept of a 'social class'? If not, can we usefully employ the term in analysing their society? Were there such things as guilds in the medieval Middle East? Would we understand the economic de- cline of Mamluk Egypt better if we used paradigms derived from the study of the economic history of England and Italy in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries? How much can the enormous fiscal archive of the Ottoman Empire tell us about population history? Why was the Middle East so backward, if indeed it was, compared with the rest of the Afro-Asian world in the nineteenth century? Have Iran and Iraq better prospects for economic growth than otherwise comparable countries thanks to their oil royalties? Or are these paradoxically a hindrance rather than a help? The study of the economic history of the Middle East in Islamic times is notoriously underdeveloped. This volume contains papers discussed at an international conference held at the School of Oriental and African Studies in 1967, together with three short critical essays which attempt to tie them together. Some papers are specific contributions to research, others survey wider areas. The volume is not a comprehensive history or a systematic inventory, but it is hoped that, in addition to presenting a set of papers which are interesting in themselves, it will give the reader a tolerable idea of the state of studies in the field.