ECO 518 assignment: comparing c. 1900 state-level economic data point to c. 2016 of same

fyi, the 20 students in ECO 518: American Economic History (Prof. John Neufeld) might ask for the location of the 1900 Census reports. These are shelved near the front of the right side of our center stacks (the one that splits the Reference Room in half). The reports are maroon, thick, heavy.

PDF versions are available online; my guide http://uncg.libguides.com/eco518 provides links. But Professor Neufeld will strongly encourage the students to refer to the print to help navigate the PDFs.

To find the near-contemporary data, I will be introducing the students to American FactFinder.

Lynda or I can help as needed.  --Steve

"Topic
First choose one state. Each student must choose a different state.
Prepare a presentation of approximately 10-15 minutes that compares an important aspect of economy of your state at the turn of the 20th century (1900) and today. The presentation should be data-based. Use data from times as close to 1900 and 2016 as possible. 1900 was a census year. The last one before today was 2010. You should try to use data from the same year. You also can use data for dates between your starting and ending periods if you want to show the path of the change.
Do not try to do a comprehensive survey of all aspects of the economy. Focus on one (or, at most, two), and treat them in depth. For example, you might want to look at how the economic experiences of a single group (such as African Americans, women, or immigrants) have changed. Or, you might want to look at changes in farming, or manufacturing, or job composition.
Do not try to present all aspects of a state’s economy. Focus on one or two, and treat them in depth. You might want to look at how a particular group, such as African Americans, women, or immigrants, and tell how their situation changed. Alternatively, you might want to look at how the composition of jobs or industries changed over the period.
Since population and many other measures will have changed over the century, be careful in using data that shows totals. Ratios that show data per capita or that use some other divisor is likely better for comparisons. For example, rather than comparing the total value of farm land, look at the proportion of the value of all land that is farm land. Another calculation worth considering would be the average value of farmland per farm. Most economic activity will have changed over the century. Don’t simply present a comparison of the total values for things like manufacturing or agriculture. Instead determine either the change in the relative importance of that measure compared to other sectors of the state’s economy, or determine the changes in your state’s share of the national total for that particular sector.
When comparing dollar values, adjust for inflation. You can do this easily using the Excel file that I have posted on Canvas."