Divergent Paths: How Culture and Institutions Have Shaped North American Growth

Why are some countries without an apparent abundance of natural resources, such as Japan, economic success stories, while other languish in the doldrums of slow growth. In this comprehensive look at North American economic history, Marc Egnal argues that culture and institutions play an integral role in determining economic outcome. He focuses his examination on the eight colonies of the North, five colonies of the South (which together made up the original thirteen states), and French Canada. Using census data, diaries, travelers' accounts, and current scholarship, Egnal systematically explores how institutions (such as slavery in the South and the seigneurial system in French Canada) and cultural arenas (such as religion, literacy, entrepreneurial spirit, and intellectual activity) influenced development. He seeks to answer why three societies with similar standards of living in 1750 became so dissimilar in development. By the mid-nineteenth century, the northern states had surged ahead in growth, and this gap continued to widen into the twentieth century. Egnal argues that culture and institutions allowed this growth in the North, not resources or government policies. Both the South and French Canada stressed hierarchy and social order more than the drive for wealth. Rarely have such parallels been drawn between these two societies. Complete numerous helpful appendices, figures, tables, and maps, Divergent Paths is a rich source of unique perspectives on economic development with strong implications for emerging societies.

"...we should be thankful for Marc Egnal's Divergent Paths. Egnal here looks at the big picture and has produced a provocative, ambitious, and curious book about the nature of economic development in North America from the nid-eighteenth century to the present....his exploration...will remain an excellent starting point for discussions on what accounted for economic development in North America."--Journal of American History

"The virtues of comparative history are much preached, but little practiced. Marc Egnal's Divergent Paths is a model of what might be done. It is crisp, clear-headed, and continuously enlightening for readers interested in Canada, the United States, and comparative history in general."--David Hackett Fischer, Brandeis University

"Marc Egnal's Divergent Paths is a fresh and original look at three very different North American regional responses to the challenge of modern economic growth. Adding French Canada to the mix is so informative that one wonders why it has not been done before. The book will get widespread attention, and deservedly so."--Gavin Wright, Stanford University

"[The author's] conclusions are carefully presented. [Divergent Paths] makes for very interesting reading. Works of this type are great fun to read and to argue about."--Journal of Comparative Economics

"a fascinating, scholarly, and intriguing account which enriches our understanding of the complexities of regional development."--The Journal of Economic History