Earl J. Hamilton papers, 1350-1995, bulk 1650-1940

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Summary

Creator:
Hamilton, Earl J. (Earl Jefferson), 1899-
Abstract:
Earl Hamilton (1899-1989) was a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Chicago (after beginning his career at Duke University). This collection primarily documents his professional life through his correspondence, writings, research, and teaching. It forms parts of the Economists' Papers Archive.
Extent:
45 Linear Feet (56 boxes and three oversize folders.)
Language:
Materials are primarily in English; some material also in Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and Italian.
Research Center:
Economists' Papers Archive
Collection ID:
RL.00496

Background

Scope and content:

This collection includes not only extensive background notes for Hamilton's major books and articles, but also over 200 original legajos and other documents pertaining to Spanish trade and economic development, dating primarily from 17th to 19th centuries. Other primary source material from the 14th to the 18th centuries are also abundant (chiefly in the form of photostats and transcripts), including hundreds of copies of documents held by the Archivo del Banco de España, the Archivo Histórico Nacional, and other archives in Europe.

Hamilton's published works represented in this collection include Money, Prices, and Wages in Valencia, Aragon, and Navarre, 1351-1500, American Treasure and the Price Revolution in Spain, 1501-1660, War and Prices in Spain, 1651-1800, and a copy of his 1929 dissertation.

This collection also includes drafts and reprints of research papers and professional and personal correspondence.

Note that the early dates in this collection reflect the dates of the original primary source material that Hamilton used for his research, not the date when the photostat, photocopy, or transcription was created. Also, some dates are estimated, taking into account the date of publication and the time that he spent researching.

Biographical / historical:

Together with his wife Gladys Dallas Hamilton, Earl Hamilton conducted important research during the 1930s and 1940s on the history of the South American and Spanish economies; the history of American, Spanish, and French banking; the history of John Law and the "Mississippi Bubble" and its effect on European economies; and prices and wages in medieval Spain. In correspondence from the 1980s, Earl remarked how essential Gladys was as a partner for his research and writing during his career.

Timeline
Date Event
1899
Born in Houlka, MS
1920
BS, Mississippi State University
1923
Married Gladys Olive Dallas
1924
MA, University of Texas
1926
AM, Harvard University; took history classes with Allyn Young
1927-1944
Professor of Economics, Duke University
1928
"American Treasure and Andalusian Prices, 1503-1660: A Study in the Spanish Price Revolution"
1929, Nov.
"American Treasure and the Rise of Capitalism, 1500-1700," Economica
1929
PhD, Harvard University
1934
American Treasure and the Price Revolution in Spain, 1501-1650
1936
Money, Prices, and Wages in Valencia, Aragon, and Navarre, 1351-1500
1936-1937
"Prices and Wages at Paris Under John Law's System"
1944-1947
Professor of Economics, Northwestern University
1947
War and Prices in Spain, 1651-1800
1947-1968
Professor of Economics, University of Chicago
1948-1954
Editor, Journal of Political Economy
1951-1952
President, Economic History Association
1967-1969
Distinguished Professor of Economic History, State University of New York, Binghamton
1969
"The Political Economy of France at the Time of John Law," History of Political Economy
1977, Mar.
"The Role of War in Modern Inflation," Journal of Economic History
1989
Died in Oak Ridge, TN
Acquisition information:
The Earl J. Hamilton papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library as gifts between 1990-1996 and from Linda Halperin in 2019.
Processing information:

Processed by James Cusick, Paula Jeannet, and Trey McClean, 1998; Meghan Lyon, October 2021; Roberto Silva, January 2026.

Accessions described in this collection guide: 1990-0103, 1991-0075, 1992-0036, 1996-0157, and 2019-0150.

Arrangement:

The Earl J. Hamilton papers are arranged into five series: Biographical/Personal, Teaching, Correspondence, Writings and Projects, and Research.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Access restricted. Some materials in this collection include student records. In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, Duke University permits students to inspect their education records and limits the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records. Contact Research Services for more information.

Access restricted. Some materials are fragile audiovisual/photographic formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

Photocopies and microfilm copies of items which belong to other libraries and archives may require permission of the owner institution to further reproduce or publish. Users making additional copies for their own research do so at their own discretion. Before publication of any such material, it is the user's responsibility to identify the original source and obtain permission.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Earl J. Hamilton papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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