Doug Irwin has done much work to show that tariffs did  
not spur US development. The fact that two highly  
protectionist economies prospered does not imply that  
protectionism was the cause (does post hoc ergo  
propter hoc apply to Williamson+ ORourke?). Irwin also  
has a paper showing that the 19th cent US tariff rate  
has been exaggerated.   
  
Doug Mackenzie