American Incomes Before and After the Revolution

Lindert, Peter H.; Williamson, Jeffrey G.

doi:10.1017/s0022050713000594

Cited by 37 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…These figures suggest that to contemporaries the dominant fact of the aggregate economy must have been its short-run volatility rather than any trend toward sustained improvement in living standards. They also suggest, consistent with new work by Lindert and Williamson (2011), that the Revolution produced a substantial drop in American incomes that persisted until the early 1790s.…”

supporting

confidence: 56%

Economic growth in the Mid-Atlantic region: Conjectural estimates for 1720 to 1800

Rosenbloom

Weiß

2014

Explorations in Economic History

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We construct decadal estimates of GDP per capita for the colonies and states of the Mid Atlantic region between 1720 and 1800. They show that the region likely achieved modest improvements in per capita GDP over this period despite a number of demographic factors that tended to slow the pace of growth. Nonetheless the rate of growth we find is below that commonly assumed to have prevailed in eighteenth century North America and calls those estimates into question. The striking feature of the region's economy in the eighteenth century was not rising livingstandards, but its ability to achieve rapid extensive growth without a decline in living standards. To contemporaries this extensive growth and short-term volatility in incomes must have been much more visible than any trend improvement in overall well-being.This work is an outgrowth of a larger research project carried out in collaboration with Peter C. Mancall. We gratefully acknowledge his extensive contributions both to that larger work and to this paper. We have received helpful comments from seminar participants at

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supporting

confidence: 56%

Economic growth in the Mid-Atlantic region: Conjectural estimates for 1720 to 1800

Rosenbloom

Weiß

2014

Explorations in Economic History

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“…Lindert and Williamson (2011), Galbraith and other writers mentioned herein portend an eventual adverse outcome of this growing calamity.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Lindert and Williamson (2011) argue that inequality is worse today than it was in 1774. Wealth, they contend, was more evenly distributed throughout the 13 colonies than it is today among the 50 states.…”

Section: Trends In the Usmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Examination of the Growing Level of Income Inequality

Webster¹

2014

American Journal of Economics and Business Administration

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This study examines the dispute surrounding the perceived gap in incomes of different socio-economic classes. The trend in income inequality based on the Gini coefficient in America in contrast to that of other nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is displayed. Global and national forces seen as causes for the increased separation of income levels are discussed. Continued economic disparity can threaten public welfare and create social unrest that will ultimately prove detrimental to the social and economic fabric that bind a nation. This issue will continue to remain at the forefront of our public policy and will play a significant role in the future course of our economic policy.

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“…Following the American Revolutionary War a large economic decline comparable to the Great Depression occurred. A potential causal factor for the large recession was the “crisis at the top.” While skilled loyalists who fled comprised only 3 percent of the free population, urban areas had a concentrated decline, contributing to the recession (Lindert and Williamson 2013). Similar to these studies, the Inquisition oppressed elite scholars, leading to a large and significant decline in their population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inquisitions and Scholarship

Anderson¹

2015

Social Science History

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Inquisitors engaged in mass censorship across the Iberian and Italian peninsulas; however, the effect it had on scholarship is debated. To test the effect of inquisitorial control a database of more than 2,000 top-tier mathematicians, scientists, authors, artists, and composers was created for 16 European countries from 1000 to 1749. Italy and Iberia had large declines of high-level scholars shortly after the establishment of the inquisitions. In contrast, other countries—both Protestant and Catholic—had increases in top-level scholars. Even though other countries had book burnings, religious persecution, and intolerance, the presence of an institution that became intolerant and oppressive significantly impacted the location of scientists and other top achievers throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

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American Incomes Before and After the Revolution

Cited by 37 publications

References 38 publications

Economic growth in the Mid-Atlantic region: Conjectural estimates for 1720 to 1800

Economic growth in the Mid-Atlantic region: Conjectural estimates for 1720 to 1800

An Examination of the Growing Level of Income Inequality

Inquisitions and Scholarship

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