Economics

Many of the primary source collections published by British Online Archives (BOA) can be grouped under the broad theme of “Economics”. Put simply, "Economics" refers to the distribution of resources within and between human populations. Competing ideologies have led to the creation of very different economic systems, from free-market capitalism to state socialism. 

“Economics” relates to many different historical and geographical contexts, and intersects with other BOA themes, such as “Colonialism and Empire”, “International Relations”, “Philosophy and Religion”, and “Politics and Social Movements”.  

For instance, the collections grouped under “Economics” document the rise of the East India Company and the wider spread of British colonial rule. The collections likewise evidence the development of the transatlantic slave trade and the associated plantation economy throughout the Caribbean. They also document the growth of Liverpool, which emerged as the key British port for the transatlantic slave trade. 

The collections within this theme also illustrate the influence of Marxist thought. For example, they track the development of the British labour movement and the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, they chart the establishment of the new global monetary system following the Second World War, via the establishment of institutions such as the European Economic Community and the World Trade Organization.