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Call For Papers
Session 69 of the International Economic History Conference, Buenos Aires, juli 2002
(http://www.eh.net/XIIICongress)
Explanation and argument
The economic crisis of the 1840’s (1845-1848) symbolises the transition between two worlds. First of all a supply crisis lies at the base of what has come to be considered as (Western) Europe’s last major hunger crisis. Secondly, it is a crisis of industrial production (overproduction) and of the financial world. Consequently, studying this 'crise mixte' offers an interesting point of view of the consequences of the transition from an agrarian-rural to an industrial-urban society.
Papers on the following subjects are welcomed: a) the impact of this crisis on various ‘national’ economies all over Europe and b) the ‘global’ economic effects. Following elements are focused on:
a) A comparative analysis of the impact of the agrarian crisis starting from a series of national and regional cases:
- Case and definitions.
In what way has the crisis of the 1840’s been rendered in the national (historical) literature ?
- Timing, causes and nature of the crisis.
What is the 'internal chronology' of each crisis? Which factors played which role: weather conditions, wars, disasters, bloccades, crop failures, diseases, food supply ?
- Effects of and reactions to the crisis.
Economic effects: agrarian production and production systems, industrial and artisanal production, demand and supply on the markets, changes in (real) income
Demographic effects: mortality and the relationship with (mal)nutrition and diseases, natality and fertility, migration
Government policy: political regulation of the market and food supply, social policy: poor relief (support), unemployment relief work, food distribution, repression
Social and individual 'coping strategies', such as alternative food and income sources, social networks of solidarity, active or passive resistance: riots, unrest, looting
b) The long-term effects of the crisis on the economic relations between Europe and the non-European world.
Population and labour migration
Food supply and food demand (price effects in the non-European world)
Changes in international trade relations (new markets)
Research Context
This session is part of the ongoing comparative research of the impact of rural hunger crises on the organisation of societies (Middle ages – 19th century, Research Network CORN- Comparative Rural History of the North Sea Area). Some extra workshops will be organised in this framework. The papers of the Buenos Aires session will be published in the publications planned by CORN.
Practical organisation
Two time blocks, divided along thematic lines: a) comparative approach, b) long-term approach. We expect eight papers (four for each time block) each discussed by a referent.
Prof. Eric Vanhaute - Ghent University, Belgium
Dr. Richard Paping - University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Prof. Cormac O'Grada - University of Dublin, Ireland
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