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A survey of topics in economic history that help us understand a classic and important question “what determines the wealth of nations”? Topics and papers were chosen to give a broad perspective on growth and development in economic history, such as the divergence in income per capita and improvements in health and literacy. It will thus be largely thematic instead of chronological and not limited to one area. We will cover research primarily by economic historians on topics such as the causes of the British Industrial Revolution, colonialism, slavery in the United States, infrastructure and public health, and human capital formation.