US Economic History

In colonial America, trade was governed by mercantilist policies. But what was mercantilism? In this video, Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University defines mercantilism and explains how mercantilist policies imposed by the British Empire drove the colonists to declare independence.

In the years following the American Revolution, trade disputes and tariffs between states threatened to break apart the newly founded United States. Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University explains how these disputes led the founders to replace the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution.

Does the United States need a national bank? This question was at the heart of one of the most notable political battles in the early United States. Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University explains the history of the national bank and explains why even today economists debate whether there is a need for a national bank.

While slavery was the dominant issue that led to the Civil War, economic policies also created tension between the North and the South. Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University explains how tariffs and the American System, a federal infrastructure plan, contributed to the growing animosity between the North and South.

In the 1870s and 1880s, the US economy grew faster than ever before and quickly became the largest economy in the world. Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University explains how big business owners, known as robber barons, immigration, and the engineering revolution all contributed to this incredible economic growth.

Between the 1890s and 1930s, the Progressive and New Deal reformers urged the government to regulate the economy more heavily in order to make it more efficient and equitable. Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University explains the economic policies these reformers ushered in, such as the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, the New Deal, and the establishment of the Federal Reserve.

Between 1929 and 1940, the United States faced the worst economic crisis in its history, the Great Depression. Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University explains different theories about what caused the Depression and how successful the government’s response to the crisis was.

Unlike the many war ravaged countries around the world in 1945, American cities and industries were intact after WWII, and the United States became the sole powerhouse of the global economy. Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University explains how the United States transitioned to a consumer economy from the 1940s through 1960s.

Since WWII, the United States has become an increasingly global economy. Professor Brian Dimitrovich of Sam Houston State University explains how policies like the Marshall Plan and NAFTA helped transition the US to a global economy and the struggles it has faced.