Alexander Anievas (UConn) and Kerem Nisancioglu (SOAS): How Did the West Usurp the Rest? Origins of the Great Divergence over the Longue Duree. How Europe became so rich: In a time of great powers and empires, just one region of the world experienced extraordinary economic growth — how? Guido Alfani on the top rich in Europe in the long run of history (1300 to present day): "Throughout this time, the only significant declines in inequality were the result of the Black Death and the World Wars". The first chapter from A Culture of Growth: The Origins of the Modern Economy by Joel Mokyr (and more).
Slavery as free trade: The 18th-century thinkers behind laissez-faire economics saw slavery as a great example of global free trade. There's a bitter new battle over whether slave torture was the foundation of the American economy (and more). Shackles and dollars: Historians and economists clash over slavery. The pain of the past: Lessons from a fight between economists and historians.
