American Economic History (6th Edition) [Hardcover]

Jonathan Hughes (Author), Louis P. Cain (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321088220 | ISBN-13: 978-0321088222 | Publication Date: July 17, 2002 | Edition: 6

The Sixth Edition of American Economic History offers a non-technical presentation of U.S. economic history rich in both quantitative techniques and economic theory. While retaining previous editions' hallmark readability and elegant writing style, as well as a focus on laws and institutions, the Sixth Edition brings the study of American economic history into the twenty-first century through updated coverage reflective of the latest scholarship. An expanded emphasis on current economic topics demonstrates the importance of viewing economic events as intricately connected to their historical context.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

 

American Economic History, Seventh Edition, integrates the latest scholarly research and data with the most important lessons from four centuries of economic, political, and social developments in U.S. history. Hughes and Cain take a chronological approach to the course and leave students with a clear understanding of how economic history can inform issues facing our society today.

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“This is an excellent introductory textbook that is suitable for students with minimal background in economics. It is especially strong in the coverage of the evolution of the American legal system, from the English heritage through the new ‘quality of life regulations’ of the 1960s.”

— Tom Geraghty, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

 

“A great feature of this text is that it is fun to read. The story of American economic history is well told here!”

— Simone Wegge, College of Staten Island

 

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Features of the Seventh Edition

• Extensive data update, incorporating the most recent release of Historical Statistics of the United States
• New coverage of prohibition and its effects on the economy in the early 20^th century
• Inclusion of the latest research, such as the contention that the 1930s were the most productive decade for the U.S., and a comparison of the 1920s and 1990s
• New coverage of the Employment Act of 1946, the early emergence of American industry and production, and the antebellum puzzle

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 688 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 6 edition (July 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321088220
• ISBN-13: 978-0321088222
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #521,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explorations in American Economic History, September 24, 2005

By 

Tom Aronson "Tom Aronson A.K.A. Vladmire Bort... (ITALY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: American Economic History (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

American Economic History is a challenging, extensive,
and complete economic history of the United States from the
establishment of the Jamestown settlement to modern economic
issues and trends. Hughes gives an overview appropriate to
the college upper classman or graduate student. The book does
a particularly fine job of discussing and analyzing the slavery
question that, for the most part, led to the Civil War. And the
various causes, such as the Stock Market Crash of 1929, that led
to the Great Depression.

The authors survey the various strains of thought on most of
the central economic issues in American History: usually giving
the most logical view(s) as based on the emperical evidence available
to the economist/historian. In addition, to being, generally, well
written and accurate, the text lends itself to a short or moderate
length essay as a means of evaluation. TWA

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the best you can get in economic history, December 16, 2006

By 

Lehigh History Student (Bethlehem, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: American Economic History (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful textbook for anyone looking to teach a course on economic history of the United States. For just general reading I would recommend Gordon's An Empire of Wealth but for others looking to teach or do an independent study this is a must. It clearly lays out all the developments in our economy very carefully and does a wonderful job of discussing current and relevant literature so you can specialize in the areas that you wish to look at further.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent; 4.5 Stars, August 29, 2011

By 

R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Economic History (8th Edition) (Pearson Series in Economics) (Hardcover)

For what it aims to accomplish, this is a first-rate book. Cain (who took over authorship in a prior editions after Hughes untimely death) aims to provide a comprehensive, chronologically arranged narrative and analysis of American economic growth from the Colonial period to the present. The intent is to reach a broad audience and Cain writes clearly, avoids use of a lot of technical language, introduces basic economic concepts as needed, and is very good at explaining relatively abstruse questions. Book production is very good and a strength of this volume. The narrative writing is very strong, there is abundant use of clear and well chosen tables and charts to illustrate many important points and issues. There are a number of nice illustrations in each chapter. Cain does a particularly nice job of providing useful bibliographies and sets of references for further reading.

One of the best things about this book is the broad spectrum of issues and analyses discussed. What might be considered the core issues of economic growth, patterns of trade, financial history, and other more purely economic topics are covered extremely well. In addition, there are a number of excellent and interesting sections on important related topics such as the importance and evolution of the American legal system, demographic changes, history of technology, and good coverage of specific and sometimes controversial issues such as the economics of slavery. Cain does a nice job of discussing the history of some controversies.

While relatively minor, there are some defects. The narrative, while generally strong, is sometimes a bit historically tone-deaf. Its not, for example, really accurate to refer to the dynastic states of 17th century France and Spain as nation-states. In his discussion of the late 19th and early 20th century, Cain tends to lump together the Progressive and Populist movements. As is common with a lot of economists, Cain has a tendency to treat market relationships as normative, which has a bit of circular flavor. Nonentheless, this is a really useful and enjoyable book.