The 1816 Year Without a Summer and the First Economic Nationalism

In 1816, a massive volcanic eruption in Indonesia caused global temperatures to drop, leading to crop failures, food riots, and a severe economic crisis across the Northern Hemisphere. The episode explores how the 'Year Without a Summer' triggered the first wave of American protectionist tariffs, reshaped migration patterns, and gave rise to the Erie Canal. Lucas and Luna connect this climatic-economic shock to modern supply-chain disruptions and the political economy of trade policy, using specific data on grain prices, the 1816 Tariff Act, and the decision to build the Erie Canal. A vivid case study in how environmental shocks rewrite economic history. #YearWithoutASummer #1816 #MountTambora #EconomicHistory #Protectionism #TariffAct1816 #ErieCanal #CropFailure #SupplyChain #TradePolicy #ClimateEconomics #Migration #GrainPrices #EconomicNationalism #VolcanicWinter #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo