Free trade between two countries (A and B) concentrates manufacturing, the invisibles (commerce, banking, shipping, insurance), capital, technology, and skills in A, the country that has an initial comparative advantage (however small) in manufacturing. Conversely, the country with a comparative...

This paper presents theory and evidence to show that imperialism was a major factor impeding the spread of the industrial revolution during the century ending in the 1950s. Two empirical results stand out. First, analysis of historical evidence shows that most sovereign countries were...