History of Capitalism (Honors)

This course introduces students to Capitalism and its history through an introduction to some of the basic economics of capitalism, historical case studies, and a Baltimore-based research project. We will discover some of the foundational ideas of capitalism and its critiques from figures as diverse as Adam Smith and Karl Marx. We will also explore diverse viewpoints on capitalism from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including deep dives into historical case studies ranging from the Gilded Age through the Great Depression and New Deal to modern capitalism in a globalized world. Finally, we will return to the local by centering students on the story of capitalism in Baltimore for their final project, from Baltimore’s history as a port city to the “highway to nowhere” to modern-day Baltimore business success stories.