Engines of Enterprise

An Economic History of New England

Peter Temin

    New England has been subjected to more economic history studies than any other region, except the South, but coherent explanations of long-term change remain scarce...This book helps rectify these gaps in our knowledge and points to future research. The essays, a result of a conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, intend to provide a survey of New England's economic history and an intellectual rationale for the Bank's creation of a New England economic history museum...[The contributors] succeed in stimulating fascinating questions for future research.
       --David R. Meyer, H-Net Reviews

    Eight papers, resulting from a conference held by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in October 1998, explore the economic history of New England and provide a foundation for a New England economic history museum.
       --Journal of Economic Literature

    Their conclusions range from confidence that the region marches along the path of economic success because of its inherent characteristics, to the suggestion that there may be some serendipity at work as well…The reader seeking a detailed presentation of the economic activities of each era will be delighted by the specific and in-depth research offered by most of the authors.
       --Carol C. McDonough, Eastern Economic Journal

    The focus on New England's economic growth over a long period makes this a unique work,and it works well as general history as well as economic history. While it will appeal most to those living in or interested in New England, the thrust on economic and social change will also interest others. Each of the essays is an original, drawing upon the most recent scholarship, and the overall contribution to the history of economic change in a major region will fit into ongoing debates about the causes and consequences of economic growth.
       --Stanley L. Engerman, University of Rochester

  • Cover: Engines of Enterprise
  • A photo of the author

Peter Temin is Elisha Gray II Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.