Economic History · Divergence
The Great Divergence: Why the West Pulled Ahead
Around 1750, rich parts of China and England looked similar. By 1900, the West was many times richer. The competing explanations (coal and colonies, institutions, high wages and cheap energy, culture of innovation, competing states) and what the evidence says.
Step 1 of 6 · Overview35 min read ·
Key idea
Prereqs: Industrial Revolution; Guns, Germs and Steel. Next: How Asia Works; The Panic of 1907. Key works: Kenneth Pomeranz, *The Great Divergence* (2000); Robert Allen, *The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective* (2009); Joel Mokyr, *A Culture of Growth* (2016); Acemoglu & Robinson, *Why Nations Fail* (2012).Next: 1. The puzzle