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A Peculiar Sample: a reply to Steckel and Ziebarth

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  • Jonathan Pritchett

    (Department of Economics, Tulane University)

  • Herman Freudenberger

    (Department of Economics, Tulane University)

Abstract

Steckel and Ziebarth (2014) find that biases in height by age imposed by traders versus non-traders were negligible. Importantly, their method of identifying traders differs from that of Pritchett and Freudenberger (1992). Using a sample of inward coastwise manifests for the port of New Orleans, we show that Steckel and Ziebarth made errors classifying shippers, that they underestimate the relative number of slaves shipped by traders, and that their empirical estimates of selection bias are attenuated towards zero.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Pritchett & Herman Freudenberger, 2015. "A Peculiar Sample: a reply to Steckel and Ziebarth," Working Papers 1504, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tul:wpaper:1504
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John Komlos & Bjorn Alecke, "undated". "The Economics of Antebellum Slave Heights Reconsidered," Articles by John Komlos 11, Department of Economics, University of Munich.
    2. Pritchett, Jonathan B. & Freudenberger, Herman, 1992. "A Peculiar Sample: The Selection of Slaves for the New Orleans Market," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(1), pages 109-127, March.
    3. Bodenhorn, Howard & Guinnane, Timothy & Mroz, Thomas, 2013. "Problems of Sample-selection Bias in the Historical Heights Literature: A Theoretical and Econometric Analysis," Center Discussion Papers 148749, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    4. Calomiris, Charles W. & Pritchett, Jonathan B., 2009. "Preserving Slave Families for Profit: Traders' Incentives and Pricing in the New Orleans Slave Market," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 69(4), pages 986-1011, December.
    5. Kotlikoff, Laurence J, 1979. "The Structure of Slave Prices in New Orleans, 1804 to 1862," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 17(4), pages 496-518, October.
    6. Bruce C. Greenwald & Robert R. Glasspiegel, 1983. "Adverse Selection in the Market for Slaves: New Orleans, 1830–1860," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(3), pages 479-499.
    7. Steckel, Richard H. & Ziebarth, Nicolas, 2013. "A Troublesome Statistic: Traders and Coastal Shipments in the Westward Movement of Slaves," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 73(3), pages 792-809, September.
    8. Steckel, Richard H., 1979. "Slave height profiles from coastwise manifests," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 363-380, October.
    9. Choo, Eugene & Eid, Jean, 2008. "Interregional Price Difference in the New Orleans Auctions Market for Slaves," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 26, pages 486-509.
    10. Jonathan B. Pritchett & Richard M. Chamberlain, 1993. "Selection in the Market for Slaves: New Orleans, 1830–1860," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(2), pages 461-473.
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    Cited by:

    1. Schneider, Eric B., 2018. "Sample selection biases and the historical growth pattern of children," Economic History Working Papers 87075, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.

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