What was Fogel's central theory on slavery?
My central argument, developed with Stanley Engerman, was that the institution of slavery in the American South, while morally reprehensible, was not economically inefficient. We found that slave plantations were often highly productive and profitable due to effective management, labor discipline, and the exploitation of economies of scale. This conclusion challenged the prevailing view that slavery was inherently a drag on economic progress.
Ask Robert Fogel the follow-up →