Historical Timeline — Economic Cycles

17th-18th Centuries

1776-83
Revolutionary War boom

1784-88
Postwar depression and deflation; maritime commerce prosperity

1807-09
Embargo depression

1810-14
Uneven wartime prosperity

1815-19
Speculative boom

1819-22
Panic and depression

1823-33
Gradual recovery

1833-34
Banking recession

1834-37
Speculative boom in land, banking, and transportation ends in panic of 1837

1838-43
Depression

1844-56
Recovery and business expansion

1857-60
Panic of 1857 and recovery

1861-65
Civil war prosperity and inflation

1866-67
Postwar recession

1868-1873
Railroad boom

1873-78
Depression and deflation

1879-93
Business expansion

1893-94
Widespread bankruptcies and depression

1895-06
Return of prosperity

1907-08
Panic of 1907

1909-18
Prosperity and war boom

1914-18
World War I

1920-21
Sharp postwar recession

1922-29
Speculative boom

1929-39
Great Depression

1939-45
World War II; wartime recovery
1946-70
Postwar boom

1950-56
Korean War and postwar readjustment
1957-58
Recession

1958-70
Extended business expansion
1964-73
Vietnam War

1970-80
Inflation rates increase, while economic growth slows

1981-82
Recession

1983-90
Business expansion

1990-91
Recession
1991-2000
Business expansion