Suchergebnisse

In 1940, when our Association was founded, this paper might have borne the same title as Caroline Ware's book: The Cultural Approach to History. In the meantime, however, world events have brought economists and historians together around the problem of economic growth. So, while pursuing the same interests illustrated in my contribution to Caroline Ware's book, I have chosen the more fashionable title of "Cultural Factors in Economic Growth."

Once upon his discussiona time, oraroundso it seems, outstandingthe historiographerworks by leading could professors. Perhaps in some fields of scholarship the time still lingers, but not in recent American economic history. A quick glance at studies applying to the twentieth century that have appeared since World War II shows a large array of books that vary in merit but include few outstanding works. Furthermore, the majority of both the more or less important books have been written by people who, to the best of my knowledge, would not call themselves economic historians.

The effects of Federal and state land-grant policies on railroad investment, railroad policy, and regional economic development are too varied to be treated in less than a volume. And such a book would require much research that has not as yet been attempted. The following discussion presents only brief notes on a few of the reactions of railroad entrepreneurs to land-grant policy. These notes were accumulated in the course of research on other problems and are in no instance complete enough to warrant broad generalizations.