Econ 30423
European Economic History: The Industrial Revolution
John Lovett
Exam 1 Review
What Material Does Exam 1 Cover?
The translation of ancient European languages, the organic chemistry behind farming, the complete
social, political, religious, and economic history of Sicily, and advanced mathematical modeling.
 The Lovett, chapter 1, reading
 The Landes & Wrigley readings
 Jones’ The European Miracle intro and chapter 1 readings
 Gies & Gies, "The Not So Dark Ages" from Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel
 Jones’ The European Miracle chapter 6 readings (States Systems).
 Notes from lecture
 Handouts we’ve had since the start of class
What’s the format of Exam 1?
21 hours of questions but only 55 minutes in which to answer them while fire ants crawl in your ears
Objective Section:  70 points, short answer, multiple choice, etc.
Essay:  30 points. Choose 1 of 2 essays.
The two old exams, posted on the web site, are good guides as to the format of your exam.
What are the “objective” questions like?
Heinous, evil, but highly imaginative torture involving bamboo under your fingernails
The objective questions tend to test your breadth of knowledge more than your in-depth analysis of
the causation.
The objective questions are, in some instances, rather antiquarian. They often test your knowledge
of the particulars of economic history.
Look at the study questions posted on the web site
Check out the old exam (albeit from a different course) posted on the web site
Look over your class notes and handouts. I use the objective section to test your breadth of
understanding.
What are the essay questions like?
The love of your life telling you she or he is in love with your best friend … and has been for 6 years.
Look over the list on the next page. I will choose questions from that list, so prepare some good
essay answers.
Essay Study Problems: I will choose 2 of from the following 7 essays. You will have to
answer 1 of the 2 (your pick). I may make minor changes to the questions below, but only
minor changes.
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Econ 30423
European Economic History: The Industrial Revolution
John Lovett
1.
What are the differences between “Pre-Modernity” and “Modernity”? Describe the main
differences. Explain why they are important (ex. why a characteristic of modernity is associated
with high growth whereas its pre-modernity counterpart is not). Reflect on the relative importance
of each characteristic.
2.
How, prior to relatively modern times, did people and the economy react when living standards
increased? How do these reactions (to increases in living standards) affect a society’s ability to
see sustained increases in living standards? Explain your answer. (Hint: It’s a Malthusian thing.)
3.
Roughly, when was the period of the Viking and Magyar raiders? How might the Viking and
Magyar raids have affected the size and nature of the European state system (hint: according to
Jones)? Explain your answer.
4.
Why, according to Jones, were the various Chinese dynasties so much larger, in terms of land and
people under their control, than political units in Europe?
5.

Briefly (I’m not looking for great detail), explain what feudalism is.

When, roughly, was feudalism the norm in Europe?

Why, according to what was taught in this class, did feudalism arise in Europe when and
where it did?

When and why, according to what was taught in this class, did feudalism (start to) die out in
Europe?
6.
7.
Write a general treatise on the “Natural Size of a State”. What, according to our readings and
lecture, best explains the average size of a state (i.e. nation or political unit) in a region? Don’t
worry about the specifics of regional geography (ex. ignore the fact that Sri Lanka is an island and
India is not). Instead, concentrate on:

the general process by which state size is “selected”

the general advantages (and disadvantages) of being small

the general advantages (and disadvantages) of being big

what can change the optimal size of a state

Don’t forget, you are trying to write a general treatise. Sure, it should fit Europe’s
transition from the Medieval period to the Early Modern. However, it is also meant to fit
other periods and places in history.
How, according to Jones (and our lecture), did the European and Asian “state systems” differ?
Don’t worry about why they differed for this question. Just explain and illustrate two things:

The important differences, for purposes of economic development, between the European
“state system” and Asian “state system”

the results that sprang from the differences in “states systems. In other words, how (again
according to Jones) did the different state systems lead to different rates of development in
Europe and Asia? Explain your answer.
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