The Trade Cycle in Britain, 1790–1850

Abstract

With the long-delayed publication of the results of the work on British business cycles from 1790 to 1850 carried out under the auspices of the Columbia University Council for Research in the Social Sciences,¹ students are provided with what is perhaps the fullest picture that has yet been made available of the evidence relating to fluctuations in the British economy in any period of its history. The work was carried out under the direction of the lateA. D. Gayer between 1936 and 1941. Various obstacles have caused itspublication to be delayed till now, and in an addendum to the preface Professor Rostow and Mrs Schwartz, who were Professor Gayer’s chief collaborators,briefly review contributions to the field that have appeared since the work was completed.

This essay was first published in Oxford Economic Papers, VI (2954).