The Tariff History of the United States (LvMI)

The Tariff History of the United States is F.W. Taussig's definitive work on the tariffs of the 19th century in the United States — a history that in some sense is the most important ever written, because tariffs were so decisive in leading to the regional conflict culminating in the Civil War.

This book has never been surpassed as pure economic history. This might be the first new presentation of the book to appear in 100 years.

The Tariff History of the United States is not economic history as that phrase has come to be understood in recent years. This is a supercharged, very interesting history of real people, institutions, and the effects of protectionist policies. Taussig shows how tariff policies had an enormous influence on the direction of US industrial development, and the conflicts caused by this kind of intervention.

Taussig was of course a free trader, like most economists of his generation. But the case for free trade here is not just a matter of theory; it emerges from within the historical narrative. The Tariff History of the United States is the kind of economic history that anyone can read and love. Knowing the details here provides a window into a time and helps explain what might otherwise be completely lost on the casual observer.

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