#Econpapers I (mostly) admire, Oct 2023

On Swedish enclosures, bank risks during the Great Depression, the Glorious Revolution, the Great Divergence, the Great Famine, the decline of education quality and much more...

In the twilight of 1905, John, a tenant farmer, and eldest of three sons, sat under the shade of an ancient oak that had stood witness to both the Glorious Revolution and the tides of countless migrants. The farm was his birthright, but recent civil unrest stirred by old religious wounds made its future uncertain.

He remembered the tales from Ellis Island, of refugees who found their voice in a foreign land, speaking fluent English, and carving out a life. Yet, here, surrounded by ancestral soil, he felt trapped by the weight of history.

His younger brother, Paul, a scholar who had read extensively about the Great Divergence and governmental policies, approached, carrying a worn journal. ‘Father wanted you to have this’, he said, handing it to John. The journal, filled with family histories, detailed their lineage and its ties to the old rulers of faith.

‘The past shapes us, but it’s our choices that define us’, Paul murmured.

John gazed at the horizon, where the sun now bled into the earth. He realised that the farm, steeped in stories of succession and past decisions, was not just land. It was a legacy waiting for a new chapter.

With a nod to Hemingway and ChatGPT, a short story that includes elements from this month’s standout papers in economic history. Your support through a paid subscription is deeply appreciated.