Economic History Research Articles

Effective Rates of Protection in an Industrialising, Settler Economy: Estimates for Victoria (Australia) in 1880*

This study estimates effective rates of protection for 33 manufacturing industries in Victoria in 1880. These estimates lead to eight observations. Notably, the effective rates of protection suggest that the magnitude of protection in late‐nineteenth‐century Victoria was considerably less than in the other industrialising, settler economies of Canada and the United States—to a more pronounced degree than suggested by nominal tariff levels. Also, colonial Victoria exhibits a very high correlation between nominal tariffs and effective rates of protection. This finding should enhance the confidence of economic historians in using the former as a proxy for the latter.

The Role of Sufi Networks in Islamic Political and Economic History

This paper investigates the multifaceted economic roles and institutional structures of Sufi networks in Islamic societies from medieval to modern times. It examines how Sufi doctrines of poverty and wealth, particularly through the divergent views of al-Ghazālī and Ibn Taymiyyah, shaped a distinctive Islamic economic ethos that intertwined spiritual discipline with ethical material engagement. The study explores the institutionalization of Sufi lodges (khānqāhs and zāwiyas) through waqf endowments, revealing how these centers supported religious transmission, community welfare, and local governance. Sufi lineages such as those in the Safavid and Saʿdī dynasties utilized spiritual charisma and household-based waqf networks to consolidate political authority and social influence. In frontier regions like Bengal and agrarian contexts like Morocco, Sufi institutions catalyzed agricultural development and rural integration, while in urban economies, Sufi guidance permeated trade guilds and artisanal ethics. The study also examines shrine-based pilgrimage economies as enduring engines of spiritual devotion, economic redistribution, and local identity formation, even amid modern state interventions and commodification. By integrating interdisciplinary methodologies from economic anthropology, historical sociology, and religious studies, this research highlights the strategic role of Sufi institutions in negotiating material realities with spiritual commitments. It offers new insights into how Sufi networks cultivated socio-economic resilience, governance structures, and moral economies across diverse Islamic polities and periods.

Trabajo, género y estadísticas. La actividad económica femenina en la provincia del Maule a mediados del siglo XIX

This article reflects on female labor in Chile through the lens of statistics generated for a rural province, Maule, in the mid-19th century. It examines the dimensions of female labor and the early construction of categories to define it, as well as the distinctions made between productive activities and domestic work. The study also explores gender biases present in the sources from the period, which influenced the compilation of economic statistics and the visibility —or lack thereof— of these activities. The analysis illuminates a lesser-known phase of female labor integration and contributes to current debates by proposing an innovative intersection of perspectives that integrates economic history, labor history, and gender history.

Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson: the identification of historically contingent causal effects

Abstract The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2024 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity”. This paper reviews the contributions of these three scholars to our understanding of the institutional causes of historical and contemporary economic development. We place their work in the context of the intellectual history of the fields of economics and economic history: these authors pioneered the quantitative analysis of historical natural experiments to identify the causal effects of political institutions. We then discuss a less widely discussed contribution of their work: the identification of historically contingent causal effects. Historical contingency, we argue, is at the heart of their conceptual and empirical insights. These insights clarify transformative processes in historical development, including: (i) European colonialism; (ii) the Atlantic Trade; and (iii) the French Revolution. More generally, they have implications for how we think about the path‐dependence of political institutions and economic development: history has a long shadow, but that shadow shifts over time.

Soviet Women and the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945): Towards a Historiographical Debate

The role of Soviet women in achieving the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany and its allies is a topic with a long historiographical tradition. In the latest studies carried out by both Russian historians (including late Soviet ones) and historians from other countries, this topic is considered in the mainstream of several major trends. One of them is related to the issues of economic history. Along with teenagers and elderly people, women became the most important labor resource during the war, massively replacing men of working age who went to the front. Their participation in the staffing of all sectors of the Soviet state economy is an unprecedented example of the implementation of one of the models of the mobilization economy caused by the war. But this gives rise to another trend: due to what, by what methods was it possible to carry out a mass mobilization of female labor? The classical version of Soviet historiography unambiguously characterized this process as a labor feat based on a high and nationwide sense of patriotism. Some post-Soviet and many Western historians see it primarily as a result of Soviet propaganda and state coercion. Finally, the position of women in production during the Great Patriotic War, their working and living conditions are considered in the context of the “new social history”, i. e. the history of everyday life, gender history, etc. Based on statistical indicators, this article summarizes the empirical material proving that Soviet women, in fact, for the first time in the world, turned out to be a determining force in meeting the needs of the military economy. Their labor achievements, material support for the front through the Defense Fund, and the donor movement were mainly the result of a sincere and selfless desire. It was caused by hatred of the enemy and the desire to support the fighting men, which, among other things, reconciled them with the strict labor legislation and difficult working and living conditions inevitable in the conditions of total war.

Name order and the top elite: historical comparative studies, 1868–1913 vs 1947–2022

Abstract Various studies have indicated that a higher surname, in alphabetical order, is positively related to better performance and higher social status. In economic history, the surname feature is a proxy variable for inheritance from ancestors. Hence, the effect of surnames on economic status persists from generation to generation. Various studies conducted in Western countries have supported this argument. In Japan, an alphabetical name order list was introduced in various societal situations during the pre-World War II period (1920–1940). This study investigated whether name order effects should be attributed to inheritance or the introduction of name list order in Japan, where historical and cultural conditions differ from those in Western countries. A dataset was constructed by gathering lists of representative figures from various fields for the period 1947–2022. Based on these lists, we calculated the proportion of surname groups according to the Japanese alphabetical column lists. In addition, we used individual-level during the period 1868–1913 to examine whether the surnames of the samurai class were disproportionally concentrated at the top of the alphabetical order approximately 100 years ago. The major findings are as follows: first, people whose surnames are in the “A” column (the first column among 10 Japanese name columns) were more likely to appear among the elite in the modern era. Second, we found no effect of the top column on the historical list. Hence, we argue that, in Japan, the alphabetical order effect is due to the introduction of the surname order list rather than inheritance.

When did Lithuania Lose its Energy Independence? Primary Energy Consumption in Lithuania in 1927–1960 from the Viewpoint of the Economic History of Energy

In the summer of 2024, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania approved the National Energy Independence Strategy which sets full energy independence as the long-term goal for Lithuania’s energy development. This should be achieved in around 2050, when Lithuania is expected to become a net energy exporter. At the same time, Lithuania will have completed the second major energy transition: replacing fossil hydrocarbon energy sources with renewable energy sources. By using the methodology of the economic history of energy (Astrid Kander, Paolo Malanima, Paul Warde et al.), we answer the question of identifying when Lithuania lost its energy independence (i.e., we ask: when did the share of imported primary energy sources in their total consumption started exceeding the share of local sources)? We have also estimated when the first major energy transition in Lithuania reached a turning point (i.e., when the share of fossil hydrocarbon fuels in the total consumption of primary energy sources started exceeding the share of renewable energy sources).

Some Evaluations on the XIXth Century Ottoman Manufacturing

In Ottoman economic history research, the central discussion of the XIXth century is observed to revolve around the decline of the Ottoman economy. According to this view, Western European countries that experienced the Industrial Revolution and transitioned to mechanized mass production gradually gained a competitive advantage through the Balta Limani Treaty signed in 1838, leading to the collapse of Ottoman craft production. In other words, the decline of craft production has been evaluated as indicative of a broader economic decline. In this study, non-agricultural production activities, specifically manufacturing activities, within the Ottoman economy of the XIXth century are examined in relation to the central discussion in the literature regarding the Ottoman economy of the XIXth century. Changes in manufacturing activities have been attempted to be evaluated from a macro perspective through selected examples. After the Balta Limani Treaty, many craft activities resisted collapse by lowering production costs, while the demand for traditional goods suited to local tastes persisted. Factors such as high transportation costs due to weak infrastructure and the inability of machines to produce certain goods helped crafts maintain their production. This study is a review-based work, employing a method of examining relevant sources and evaluating the obtained information.

Esercizio di filologia mercantile: sette lettere di mercanti veneziani degli anni ’40 del Trecento

Abstract The article offers an edition of seven letters from the 1340s written by Venetian merchants trading in the eastern Mediterranean as part of a liga overseen by Fresco Quirini, a well-known figure in the study of Venetian economic history. The edition of each document is followed by a linguistic and content commentary.

Latin American Economic History: An Introduction to Daily Life, Debt, and Development. By Molly C. Ball. New York: Routledge, 2025. Pp. 150. $180.00 cloth; $52.99 paperback.

Latin American Economic History: An Introduction to Daily Life, Debt, and Development. By Molly C. Ball. New York: Routledge, 2025. Pp. 150. $180.00 cloth; $52.99 paperback.

Grade 11 Public Schools Students' Knowledge and Challenges in Learning the Sociocultural History of Negros Occidental

Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics (UCSP) plays a vital role in shaping one's cultural identity. Meanwhile, the sociocultural history of Negros Occidental holds significant importance for a deeper understanding of the region's distinct cultural and social dynamics. Thus, this study assessed the students' knowledge of the sociocultural history of Negros Occidental. Also, it identified the challenges encountered in learning the sociocultural history. Using the quantitative design, the 278 total enumeration sampled grade 11 students responded to the multiple-choice questionnaire. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and KR20. Meanwhile, the researcher adhered to the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB). Generally, they have a low knowledge of the sociocultural history of Negros Occidental. The knowledge of social history in educational, political, familial, religion, and economics are all low. The knowledge of cultural history in values and beliefs are all low and very low in norms. In challenges, teachers find it hard to give examples of local history. Mostly, their instruction is from textbooks. Students struggle with lessons and have a weak social science foundation. In the learner environment, the school is deficient in learning materials. Also, the classroom is not conducive to learning. In subject, topics are broad. Additionally, some subject's lessons are unimportant.

Secular Stagnation After Piketty and Keynes

ABSTRACT Secular stagnation has a long history in economics, beginning with Quesnay and Ricardo, and followed by Mill’s argument that a stationary state was not all bad. This notion then disappeared until Hansen revived it in the 1930s, coining the term ‘secular stagnation’. While ignored following World War II, a growth slowdown beginning at the end of the 20th century led Summers to revive this idea. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the return of secular stagnation or the stationary state. Likewise, various solutions have been proposed to deal with the problem — beginning with Samuelson’s balanced budget multiplier. Piketty makes several contributions to the secular stagnation debate. He emphasizes rising income inequality as a cause of secular stagnation. Chapter 16 of Capital in the Twenty-First Century provides a policy solution to the inequality and savings glut problems — governments should not incur debt but should tax the rich rather than borrow from them. This is not far from what Keynes advocated regarding public debt. Piketty also supports more progressive income taxation, as does Keynes. Finally, the paper concludes with some additional policy proposals to deal with excessive household debt, another possible cause of secular stagnation.

Economic Theories, Protagonists, and Facts: Collected Essays in the History of Economic Thought by Maria Cristina Marcuzzo

<i>Economic Theories, Protagonists, and Facts: Collected Essays in the History of Economic Thought</i> by Maria Cristina Marcuzzo

The Textbook Reception of Pigouvian Externality Analysis, 1946–1980

Abstract The origins of environmental economics are commonly traced to Arthur Cecil Pigou's work on externality theory and policy. Aired in casual remarks, conjectures, and speculations, this view seems to have produced no commensurate gains in either clarity or evidence. Recent research on the history of externalities and environmental economics draws on work customarily published in specialized scholarly journals or books regarded as original and innovative and challenges the continuity of a “Pigouvian tradition” in externality theory and policy. This article enters the conversation by shifting the vantage point of inquiry from scientific innovation to scientific reproduction, namely, to the textbook pedagogical regime of postwar economics. Because textbooks were and remain the primary media for training economics students, this question translates as the following problem: What is the evidence for the prominence of Pigou's analytical treatment of externalities in postwar textbooks in introductory, environmental, and urban economics as well as public finance? The findings support the case that Pigouvian externality analysis was a significant component of pedagogy in the period, an important piece of equipment in professional training and academic socialization, and a presumptive credential of competence in beginning a career.

Peasants into Muslims: Poverty and conversions to Islam in Ottoman Bosnia

Abstract Whilst economic historians have invested substantial effort into understanding the economic consequences of religion, they have invested less effort into understanding the determinants of religious affiliation. The lack of knowledge about determinants of religious affiliation seems particularly striking in the case of Southeastern Europe. Populated by Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims, the region has been historically characterized by a high degree of religious diversity – an important determinant of comparative development patterns. This paper analyses one specific example of religious formation in Southeastern Europe – conversions to Islam in early modern Bosnia. Employing village‐level data from the Ottoman tax registers of 1468 and 1604, we find that settlements with lower income per household were more likely to convert to Islam. Given that premodern Bosnia was characterized by low agricultural yields, this finding implies that poverty induced peasants to convert to Islam. We hypothesize that the poll tax – a regressive tax removed upon conversion to Islam – stimulated the poorer Bosnians to adopt Islam upon the Ottoman conquest of their region.

The Problems with Labor Force Participation as a Measure of Women's Work

Abstract: This article argues that economic historians should not use labor force participation as a measure of women's work. Labor force participation is an ahistorical concept because it chooses an arbitrary dividing line between work and nonwork and because it assumes a regularity of work that does not match reality in many historical labor markets. A binary measure cannot describe women's work adequately, and labor force participation conceals more than it reveals. Discarding labor force participation does not mean that we should abandon the history of women's work but rather that we should look for more appropriate measures.

Convocation

Abstract Convocation was the assembly of the clergy of medieval England and Wales and met from the late 1280s until the seventeenth century (before a rebirth in the nineteenth century). Economic historians have largely examined Convocation as a rubber stamp for stand-alone tax requests by the English kings or focused on small groupings of these demands—an examination of these requests and the evolution of how they were handled by the members of Convocation has not been covered. In this article, tax subsidy requests by the kings to Convocation are examined across three centuries in conjunction with clerical petitions to the monarchy allowing us to determine trends, including how the clergy went from ignoring requests to granting them with conditions. By placing these requests in their situational context, we can trace the efforts for self-rule and autonomy by the English clergy in the later Middle Ages.

Consumption and Economic Life in Modern Latin America

ABSTRACTCommodities and global trade are central to the history of Latin America. As scholars have pointed out, the cultivation, extraction, and shipping of commodities produced in the Americas have been vital in deepening our knowledge of the scale of its global entanglements. While crucial for understanding the region's political, economic and cultural past, this approach has inadvertently overlooked the equally vital role of consumption. This article aims to cast light on how the studies on the history of consumption—histories of what people bought, owned, ate, wore, and discarded—can provide greater insight into the region's cultural, political, and economic history from the 1820s until the mid‐20th century. It prioritizes scholarship that recognizes Latin American consumers as active agents of historical change. The article also aims to show how the history of consumption can bridge various historiographical fields—including environmental history, the history of capitalism, labor history, and the history of race—to offer a richer and more comprehensive knowledge of Latin America's past.

‘Waar is beter dorp in Zuid Africa dan Stellenbos?’: What the Stellenbosch-Drakenstein Tax Censuses Reveal

ABSTRACT In 1825, an unnamed Stellenbosch official paused his tax collection duties to pen a poem in the margins of the opgaafrol. His verses capture the frustrations of colonial administration but the records themselves – annual tax censuses spanning 1685 to 1844 – offer a far richer window into the Cape Colony’s social and economic history. First established by the Dutch East India Company and later maintained under Batavian and British rule, the opgaafrollen documented household composition, agricultural production, and patterns of coerced labour. While these records have long informed scholarship, their fragmented nature has limited systematic analysis. This article introduces a newly transcribed series of opgaaf records for Stellenbosch and Drakenstein. We examine three key themes: surname frequency as a proxy for marriage patterns and kinship networks; long-term shifts in agricultural output; and changes in slave ownership. Our findings challenge existing interpretations of colonial economic mobility and governance, demonstrating how settler households navigated taxation, labour, and status. By analysing the opgaafrollen at scale, this study rethinks their role – not simply as tax records but as a tool for understanding economic and social change in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Cape Colony.

Data retrieval from local heritage books—Is artificial intelligence the solution?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming all scientific disciplines. Among its many applications, AI can facilitate data retrieval from a wide range of sources. We evaluate the performance of large language models in extracting data from local heritage books—valuable sources for economic and demographic history. We compare the results of AI-driven, Python code-based, and manual data retrieval for random samples of observations from three heritage books. Our analysis shows that Python code-based retrieval consistently outperforms AI, particularly in minimizing issues such as omitted or hallucinated data. Furthermore, we show that, with minor modifications our Python code-based methods can be adapted to other local heritage books, highlighting the robustness and scalability of this traditional approach.