Economic History

Module: EC2034

In this module we take a global view of a very long span of history.  We cover topics from Latin America, Africa and the Far East, from the Middle Ages to the middle of the 20th Century.  We try to answer questions such as:

• Why did Western and Eastern Europe diverge economically from the Middle Ages?
• Why is Africa poor?
• Why was the World unable to raise living standards significantly until the Industrial Revolution?
• Why did Britain industrialize first?
• Why didn't China industrialize first?

Along the way we will focus on critical junctures such as the plague, globalization and the role of institutions in determining the economic success of societies.

If these questions intrigue you then the Economic History module is for you.