Having an economic historian as a Governor of a central bank is a treat. One gets to read about econ history in speeches. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey is one such Governor. In his recent speech, he traces history and meaning of reserve currency: I want to spend my time developing a theme that […]
The industrial revolution is arguably the single most important event in economic history. Since its start in the 1750s, it has touched almost every aspect of our economic, political, social, and even cultural lives. The question of why the industrial revolution started in Britain in the eighteenth century remains popular among historians. The essay explores […]
The country is once again called upon to come to terms with its slave past, a call that has aggravated the deep polarization into which we have descended. For many decades, economic historians have grappled with economic dimensions of slavery, addressing such questions as: Was slavery profitable? Was slave labor as productive as free labor? What were the implications of slavery for regional growt…
