Never Together
The Economic History of a Segregated America

An inclusive economic history of America describing two centuries of American racial conflicts since the Constitution was written.

Peter Temin (Author)

9781316516744, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 February 2022

338 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.3 cm, 0.63 kg

'Many tellings of American economic history do not focus on the critical contributions Black Americans have made to our nation. In Never Together, Temin remedies this problem and gives us a rich, inclusive economic history from the American Revolution to the Civil War through the current day. The upshot of this careful historical examination is that progress toward racial equity is far from steady, with important triumphs often stymied by subsequent challenges - an important lesson for everyone seeking to achieve a fairer and more equitable society.' Raj Chetty, Harvard University

In November 2020, The New York Times asked fifteen of its columnists to 'explain what the past four years have cost America.' Not one of the columnists focused on President Trump's racism. This book seeks to redress this imbalance and bring Black Americans' role in our economy to the forefront. While all humans were created equal, economic history in the United States tells a different story. Reconstruction lasted for only a decade, and Jim Crow laws replaced it. The Civil Rights Movement lasted through the 1960s, yet decayed under President Nixon. The United States has been declining in the Social Product Index, where it now is the lowest of the G7 and 26th in the world. For health and happiness, Temin argues that we need lasting integration efforts that allow Black Americans equal opportunity. This book convincingly integrates Black and white activities into an inclusive economic history of America.

Introduction: Part I. The Nineteenth Century: 1. Slavery and the civil war
2. Reconstruction
3. The gilded age and jim crow laws
Part II. The Twentieth Century: 4. The great migration, depression and world wars
5. Postwar prosperity and the civil rights movement
6. A new gilded age and mass incarceration
Part III. The Twenty-First Century Begins: 7. Racism rises and America declines
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], Political economy [KCP]