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Title: The Effect of Industrialization on Fertility and Human Capital: Evidence from the United States in the 19th Century
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2016
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Abstract: During the period 1850-1900, the United States experienced a rapid process of industrialization. In this paper, I test for its effect on fertility and human capital. Using aerial distance from potential transportation routes as an instrument for industrialization, I find that the share of workers employed in manufacturing in a particular county had a significant negative effect on the ratio of children to adults in that county, and a significant positive effect on the proportion of literate adult males. The effect is robust to alternative specifications and measures of industrialization, and it is not a result of immigration. A heterogeneity analysis suggests that the effect was larger in counties that were more industrialized in 1850, leading to a divergence between them and less developed counties.
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Authors: Katz, Ori
Publisher: Tel Aviv University
Data Collections: IPUMS USA, IPUMS NHGIS
Topics: Fertility and Mortality, Labor Force and Occupational Structure
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