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Gangster Spirits
Economic History of Chicago and the Al Capone Era
Alice Louise Kassens
Roanoke College
VAE 2016
Capone the economist
“I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand.”
“I have built my organization upon fear.”
“You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can
with a kind word alone.”
“Capitalism is the legitimate racket of the ruling class.”
Plans for book
? Biography Capone’s life, particularly his time in Chicago prior going to
prison in 1932 (Atlanta then Alcatraz), using economics to explain
decisions and actions; rise and fall of Capone empire
? Economics of crime, opportunity costs, market power and barriers to entry,
“Bootleggers and Baptists”, supply and demand, crony capitalism, etc.
? Use theory and provide empirical analyses
? While also
? Providing an economic history of Chicago and its citizens leading up to and
throughout Prohibition
? Explaining the political and economic environment making Capone’s
rise to power and wealth possible
Resources
DATA
? Skogan’s “Chicago since 1840: A
time-series data handbook”
? Chicago Historical Homicide
Project (Northwestern University)
FILES/TEXTS
? IRS documents
? FBI documents
? Chicago Tribune archives
? Books (Schoenberg, Kobler, Eig)
? Journal articles
? “Social Scientists Map Chicago”
? ChicagoinMaps.com
? Ancestry.com
Gangster Spirits
Example: Chicago Historical Homicide Project
? Sequential text file and quantitative database from Chicago Police
Department Homicide Record Index from handwritten records (over
11,000 cases between 1870 and 1930)
? Supplement with other sources for details (Chicago Tribune
archives, Illinois Crime Index, CHHP interactive database)
Example: Chicago Tribune, Chicago in Maps
Divorce, Marriage, and Unemployment
Divorce, Marriage, and Unemployment
Homicide and Organized Crime
Homicide and Organized Crime

More Related Content

Gangster Spirits: Economic History of Chicago and the Al Capone Era

  • 1. Gangster Spirits Economic History of Chicago and the Al Capone Era Alice Louise Kassens Roanoke College VAE 2016
  • 2. Capone the economist “I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand.” “I have built my organization upon fear.” “You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.” “Capitalism is the legitimate racket of the ruling class.”
  • 3. Plans for book ? Biography Capone’s life, particularly his time in Chicago prior going to prison in 1932 (Atlanta then Alcatraz), using economics to explain decisions and actions; rise and fall of Capone empire ? Economics of crime, opportunity costs, market power and barriers to entry, “Bootleggers and Baptists”, supply and demand, crony capitalism, etc. ? Use theory and provide empirical analyses ? While also ? Providing an economic history of Chicago and its citizens leading up to and throughout Prohibition ? Explaining the political and economic environment making Capone’s rise to power and wealth possible
  • 4. Resources DATA ? Skogan’s “Chicago since 1840: A time-series data handbook” ? Chicago Historical Homicide Project (Northwestern University) FILES/TEXTS ? IRS documents ? FBI documents ? Chicago Tribune archives ? Books (Schoenberg, Kobler, Eig) ? Journal articles ? “Social Scientists Map Chicago” ? ChicagoinMaps.com ? Ancestry.com Gangster Spirits
  • 5. Example: Chicago Historical Homicide Project ? Sequential text file and quantitative database from Chicago Police Department Homicide Record Index from handwritten records (over 11,000 cases between 1870 and 1930) ? Supplement with other sources for details (Chicago Tribune archives, Illinois Crime Index, CHHP interactive database)
  • 6. Example: Chicago Tribune, Chicago in Maps
  • 7. Divorce, Marriage, and Unemployment
  • 8. Divorce, Marriage, and Unemployment