ECON 220
We Hold These Truths: Growth, Change, and Struggle in American Economic History
Last Offered Fall 2022
Division II
This course is not offered in the current catalog

This course examines the growth and development of the American economy from the colonial era to today. The emphasis will be on the use of economic theory and quantitative evidence to explore key questions and themes in U.S. history. While we will study the key drivers of longer-term American economic success, we will also concentrate on the experiences of those marginalized, coerced, or otherwise oppressed over this history. Topics may include some or all of the following: the development of colonial markets, the economics of the U.S. Constitution, Native Americans in the American economy, slavery and racial inequality, immigration, innovation, industrialization, government regulation and policymaking, the Great Depression, the changing roles of women in the U.S. economy, post-World War II growth, the construction of the social safety net, and the place of the United States in the modern global economy. Comparisons will be made to European and non-European experiences when appropriate.