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Title: Long-Term Perspectives on Geographic and Economic Mobility, 1800-1900

Citation Type: Conference Paper

Publication Year: 1998

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Abstract: Patterns of geographic mobility over the 19th century are examined and compared to contemporary rates. The results show that rates of interstate migration were high in the first half of the nineteenth century, fell through 1900, and rose to current levels after 1950. The economic correlates of migration to the frontier between 1850 and 1860 are than assessed. The study asks how many people actually moved to the west, how many of them were poor, unskilled workers, and how did the subsequent economic performance of migrants compare to that of non-migrants using more than 5,000 males linked across the 1850-70 federal censuses. It finds substantial migration to the frontier by urban residents, particularly unskilled workers, and substantial gains in wealth for these migrants. Those who moved to the frontier were generally of lower average quality than those who stayed behind, lending further support to the view of the frontier as a "safety valve."

Url: http://faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/~fe2r/papers/jferrie.pdf

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Authors: Ferrie, Joseph P

Conference Name: American Economic Association Annual Meeting

Publisher Location: Chicago, Illinois

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure

Countries: United States