Full Citation

Title: Resisting Oppression: Fertility Decisions under Slavery

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2009

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Abstract: This paper examines the extent to which enslaved mothers in the U.S. antebellum South were able tocontrol their own fertility in hopes of facilitating escape. A fertility model is developed, demonstratingthat if mothers control their own fertility, they will choose to have fewer children the greater the distanceto freedom, whereas the converse is true if slave owners control fertility. Exploiting the Fugitive Slave Lawof 1850 (which increased the distance to freedom) and the particularity of U.S. geography, a strong negativerelationship between fertility and distance is demonstrated, consistent with mother-controlled fertility. Thisnegative correlation is stronger on larger plantations, but disappears if the father of the child is white. The?ndings are robust to inclusion of measures of the di culty of the route, and no similar correlation existsfor white fertility. Estimates suggest the average mother had between 12% and 23% fewer children becauseof the incentive of escape. These ?ndings present the ?rst quantitative evidence of widespread "everyday"resistance to an oppressive institution.

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Authors: Allen, Treb

Publisher: Yale University

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Fertility and Mortality, Other, Race and Ethnicity

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