Financial crises in historical perspective: Parallels between the past and present

Abstract

The outbreak of the financial crisis in 2007 has increased the interest in the study of financial history and, mainly, from compared studies on international financial crises. To this end, Investigaciones de Historia Económica-Economic History Research has set out to publish a special issue, welcoming the research on past financial crises into its pages. This issue consists of five papers, summarized in this introduction, that revolve around three large topics: the significance of sources and their use to understand the origin of financial crisis as well as their regulatory consequences; comparisons between major crises, and the study of financial crises' causes and the measures taken to rise to their challenges. The articles presented here delve into the lessons offered by past crises and provide a good example of Economic History's ability to contribute to a better understanding of past and present economic phenomena.