Econometric History

The introduction of economic thinking into economic history, overdue in 1957, is largely accomplished by now. What follows is an account for the benefit of non-economists of what has been done so far. The bibliography, long for a book in this series though short by comparison with a complete one, will suggest the scale of the accomplishment. The text amounts to a running commentary on the bibliography: a specialised bibliography of what has been done by historical economists on a particular theme might begin with the citations in the text.
The account is written by a participant, which gives it the advantages and disadvantages of contemporary history. I have tried to be fair, but it is impossible at this range to be Olympian. We will not know for another century or two where the cycle of revisionism on American slavery or British entrepreneurial failure will come to rest. In the meantime we can only note the ways in which economists have altered the terms of the debates.
For no very good reason the piece has taken embarrassingly long to write, in odd moments over many years. The three editors who have seen it from conception to creation - L. A. Clarkson, T. C. Smout and the late Michael Flinn - were extraordinarily patient with my delays. Stanley Engerman and Lance Davis provided me with useful comments on the penultimate version. Various seminar audiences have heard versions of it, and set me on the right path. I thank especially the long-suffering members of the Economic History Workshop at the University of Chicago, who have heard versions of it several times.