New Research on the Panic of 1837

While I was in Mississippi honoring John Marszalek recently, Aaron Crawford pointed out a new book on the Panic of 1837 by Alasdair Roberts entitled America’s First Great Depression: Economic Crisis and Political Disorder After the Panic of 1837 (Cornell Univ. Press, 2012).  It will be interesting to see the perspective that Roberts, a law professor at Suffolk University Law School, takes on the economic depression that consumed Martin Van Buren’s presidency. Jim Cullen reviewed it favorably at History News Network.

While I’m not an economic historian, I’m glad to see Roberts tackle a topic that deserves more attention. John Larson touched on the Panic of 1837 in his 2009 book on the Market Revolution, but what I’m really looking forward to is the publication of Jessica Lepler‘s award-winning dissertation on the subject.