Fogel on Slavery

It is unusual to fight hard (and die) to preserve an unprofitable institution.

This was clearly Fogel's main thesis, but it is not uncontroversial.

We will miss Fogel here at Chicago.

I would have said "Slavery was abolished because it was morally deeply wrong, not because it was in the owners' interest to free slaves"

I read & do not research this topic, but this is my take-away from much reading. I would defer to greater experts, however.

Time on a Cross was very convincing -- and so disturbing to my sister-in-law that she decided not to be an econ major after reading it!

-see background information here

Bob Fogel, who was an exemplary scholar, a courteous colleague, and a warm, kind person. He will be greatly missed.

Fogel and Engerman make a convincing case.