Course Description

This course is a survey of evolutionary changes in American economic life from British colonial settlement to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Its focus is on the pecuniary culture of the consumer society, and the alleged influence of the machine process on habits of thougt. Our students will be understand economic history as described by Thorstein Veblen. At the end of the course students will have acquired knowledge and critical understanding of the spirit of modern economic life. The course consists of lectures, readings, identifying actual conditions through academic achievement surveys, two small test with 25 questions and Term-end Exam Paper Review.