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Institutional Change, Stature, and Northeast Industrialization: Evidence from the 19th Century Philadelphia County Prison

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  • Scott Alan Carson

Abstract

This article considers the relationship between stature, race, institutional change, and proximity to urban centers during economic development. A new data set of male inmates from the 19th century Philadelphia County prison is introduced to compare black and white statures during industrialization in a northern state. White inmates were consistently taller than their black counterparts, and Americans were taller than British and Europeans. It is documented that blacks and whites in Southeastern Pennsylvania who lived in urbanized Philadelphia were consistently shorter than other rural Pennsylvanians, indicating that the relative effects of urbanization dominated proximity to dairy production during industrialization.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott Alan Carson, 2011. "Institutional Change, Stature, and Northeast Industrialization: Evidence from the 19th Century Philadelphia County Prison," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 167(4), pages 630-646, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:mhr:jinste:urn:sici:0932-4569(201112)167:4_630:icsani_2.0.tx_2-k
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Baten, Jorg & Murray, John E., 2000. "Heights of Men and Women in 19th-Century Bavaria: Economic, Nutritional, and Disease Influences," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 351-369, October.
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    1. Scott A. Carson, 2021. "The Changing Antebellum Period through Early 20th Century Net Nutrition between Male and Females: A Difference-In-Decompositions within and across Group Comparison," CESifo Working Paper Series 9402, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • N31 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913

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