Economic Growth and the Standard of Living in Southern New England, 1640–1774

Abstract

This study draws upon a large sample of probated estates from early Connecticut and Massachusetts. It finds that total probate wealth per adult male grew slowly over the colonial period and its growth was confined entirely to real estate. The value of consumption goods per estate fell during the early eighteenth century which raises questions about the impact of economic growth on household life.

The Seeds of Divergence: The Economy of French North America, 1688 to 1760

“…This initial estimate was not beyond the range found by authors who produced conjectural estimates for Colonial America. 313 It is on par with the general rate of economic growth of 0.4% per annum observed by Alice Hanson Jones. 314 It is also in the range of 0.3% to 0.6% estimated by McCusker and Menard for the period between 1700 and 1774.…”

The Economic Roots of the American “Zigzag”: Knives, Forks, and British Mercantilism

“…Whereas demand for spoons and knives remained inelastic in both the colonies and the mother country, the timing of this price premium effectively drove a demand elasticity wedge between the two table fork markets: demand grew inelastic in England but remained quite elastic in the colonies. It is no wonder, then, that after Governor Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony brought what appears to be the first table fork to the colonies in 1630, it would take nearly 100 years before forks began to appear in colonial probate inventories (Carr and Walsh 1988; Deetz and Grey 1996; Main and Main 1988). While probate inventories imply that many households owned at least one table fork by 1775 (Carr and Walsh 1988; Main and Main 1988), historical evidence suggests that the fork was still an uncommon table utensil: in colonial America, “knives, spoons, and fingers, with plenty of napery, met the demands of table manners” (Dow 1935, 34).…”

“…It is no wonder, then, that after Governor Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony brought what appears to be the first table fork to the colonies in 1630, it would take nearly 100 years before forks began to appear in colonial probate inventories (Carr and Walsh 1988; Deetz and Grey 1996; Main and Main 1988). While probate inventories imply that many households owned at least one table fork by 1775 (Carr and Walsh 1988; Main and Main 1988), historical evidence suggests that the fork was still an uncommon table utensil: in colonial America, “knives, spoons, and fingers, with plenty of napery, met the demands of table manners” (Dow 1935, 34). 3 Although colonists were familiar with table forks on the eve of the Revolution, most considered them to be superfluous utensils.…”

Inflation and Deflation in Early America, 1634–1860: Patterns of Change in the British American Economy

“…19 The differences among the G trends for the probate prices of consumable manufactures during the eighteenth century probably arise mostly from the three distinct colonial currencies in which these values were taken. 20 But to have Maryland, Virginia, and Connecticut probate prices for such items; comparable assessments from accounts in Maryland, West Virginia, and Massachusetts; and published wholesale values from the major ports of Philadelphia and New York each climb along G paths through the second half of the eighteenth century is not so startling, given the "consumer revolution" known to have occurred on both sides of the Atlantic (Carr andWalsh 1978,1980;Shammas 1982Shammas ,1990Main 1983;Main and Main 1988;McKendrick et al 1982;Weatherill 1988). People owned more things and were willing and able to pay more for them.…”