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Title: Technological Disruption in the 19th Century United States
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2024
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Abstract: This study investigates three distinct examples of technological innovation during the 19th century United States. I first examine the long-run impacts of a deskilling technology on workers and their children. The McKay stitcher dramatically changed shoe production in the late 19th century by replacing skilled artisans with machines and less-skilled workers. It was licensed in only a few counties and impacted workers across counties unevenly through the transportation network. More-exposed shoemakers and their children faced long-run losses in the face of this displacement. During the same era, the railroad network of the US expanded rapidly, changing the organization of firms in manufacturing. Expanding market access pushed establishments to specialize production on fewer products. Manufacturing plants specialized on specific steps in the production process, shortening the production chain within establishments. Together these imply that the ingredients for Smithian growth arose in response to technologically driven market integration. Towards the end of the century, a new method of market integration began to take hold
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Authors: Cockriel, William
Institution: University of Chicago
Department: Business
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Pages: 1-24
Data Collections: IPUMS USA - Ancestry Full Count Data
Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure
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