Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Economic Progress of American Black Workers in Periods of Crisis and Change, 1910-1950

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This project seeks to assess the impact of the major economic events and institutional changes during the first half of the twentieth century on the economic welfare of black, white, and immigrant workers. Quantitative analysis of the economic progression of black workers from 1910 to 1950 is largely a missing chapter in U.S. economic history. The combination of the World Wars, expansions, and the Great Depression offers an opportunity to examine the impact of a wide variety of settings on the economic progress of various racial and ethnic groups. The data from the Census and the IPUMS has helped scholars make a significant start on our understanding. However, there are significant gaps in our knowledge of the impact of business cycles and specific policies that can only be filled with annual data. The goal of this project is to seek out and analyze such data from the reports of the various state labor departments. The funds obtained from the NSF will enable me to travel to libraries, collect data from state reports, and enter the data into a computer-readable format. The analysis of this data will help fill the gaps in our understanding of the economic history of black, white, and immigrant workers during this important and dynamic period of history.