A New Balance of Payments for the United States, 1790'1919

The book presents a comprehensive analysis of balance of payments statistics for the United States from 1790 to 1919, prior to the establishment of official records. It critiques existing data and introduces a new balance of payments table, addressing previous limitations. Key features include detailed measurement decisions and the development of new series that illuminate the economic significance of sectors like slave trade, shipping, manufacturing, and travel. The final sections apply this new data to explore economic aggregates and sectoral contributions, culminating in insightful conclusions.