新经济史革命的回顾与反思——基于“航海条例的负担”大讨论

The Burden of the Navigation Acts and the New Economic History

20世纪60年代开始,美国学术界兴起了"新经济史革命"。在这场革命中,学者围绕"航海条例的负担"问题展开广泛的探讨。哈珀(L.A.Harper)和托马斯(R.P.Thomas)是前期的代表学者,哈珀从史料出发,认为当时由于航海条例的颁布,给美殖民地带来的负担是非常沉重的。但是托马斯通过对当时经济贸易状况的估算,认为哈珀对负担的估算是夸大的。1969年以后,更多学者基于前人的争论,展开进一步的研究和讨论。他们藉由讨论"航海条例的负担"这一问题,分别表达了对新经济史的不同态度。对新经济史研究方法的反思,使得经济史的研究逐渐走向成熟。

In the 1960 s, the revolution of the new economic history began,"the burden of the Navigation Acts" became one of the most popular topics discussing by scholars in the Economic History field. L.A.Harper and R.P.Thomas are the representative figures. Based on historical materials, Harper believed that the burden of the Navigation Acts on the American colonies was extremely heavy. But Thomas used new counterfactual method, and then the the burden of conclusion is not as heavy as Harper said. This subtle burden is not powerful enough to be one of reason that case the American revolution. Since 1969, more scholars have joined in the discussion of the burden of Navigation Acts. During their research and study, they’ve brought up different opinions and attitudes towards "New Economic History". And the research methods of the New Economic History have been gradually mature and rational.