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Convergence (and divergence) in the biological standard of living in the USA, 1820–1900

Author

Listed:
  • Areendam Chanda

    (Department of Economics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA)

  • Lee A. Craig

    (Department of Economics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8110, USA)

  • Julianne Treme

    (Department of Economics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27106, USA)

Abstract

Standard economic indicators suggest that the USA experienced long-run economic growth throughout the nineteenth century. However, biological indicators, including human stature, offer a different picture, rising early in the century, falling (on average) mid-century, and rising again at the end of the century. This pattern varied across geographical regions. Using a unique data set, consisting of mean adult stature by state, we test for convergence in stature among states in the nineteenth century. We find that during the period of declining mean stature (1820–1870), heights actually diverged. Later in the century (1870–1890) we find a type of “negative” convergence indicating that stature among states tended to converge to a new, lower steady state. Only towards the end of the century (1880–1900) do we find classic convergence behavior. We argue that the diversity of economic experiences across regions, including urbanization, industrialization, and transportation improvements, explain this pattern of divergence and then convergence.

Suggested Citation

  • Areendam Chanda & Lee A. Craig & Julianne Treme, 2008. "Convergence (and divergence) in the biological standard of living in the USA, 1820–1900," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 2(1), pages 19-48, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:afc:cliome:v:2:y:2008:i:1:p:19-48
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Adolfo Meisel-Roca & María Teresa Ramírez-Giraldo & Daniela Santos-Cárdenas, 2018. "Socioeconomic Determinants and Spatial Convergence of Biological Well-being: The Case of Physical Stature in Colombia, 1920-1990," Borradores de Economia 1053, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    2. Tassenaar, Vincent, 2019. "Development of regional variety of the biological standard of living in the Netherlands, 1812–1913," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 151-161.
    3. Meisel-Roca, Adolfo & Ramírez-Giraldo, María Teresa & Santos-Cárdenas, Daniela, 2019. "Long run relationship between biological well being, and economic development in Colombia," Working papers 24, Red Investigadores de Economía.
    4. Adolfo Meisel-Roca & María Teresa Ramírez-Giraldo & Daniel Lasso-Jaramillo, 2023. "Gender height dimorphism: An approximation of the living Standards in Colombia, 1920-1990," Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research (IHE-EHR), Journal of the Spanish Economic History Association, Asociación Española de Historia Económica, vol. 19(02), pages 124-139.
    5. Julianne Treme & Lee A. Craig, 2013. "Urbanization, Health And Human Stature," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65, pages 130-141, May.
    6. Ramon Ramon-Muñoz & Josep-Maria Ramon-Muñoz & Nikola Koepke, 2015. "Well-being and the late nineteenth century agrarian crisis: anthropometric evidence from rural Catalonia," Working Papers 15008, Economic History Society.
    7. Ikeda, Nayu & Nishi, Nobuo, 2023. "Spatiotemporal variations in mean height of 17-year-old students born in 1957–2002 across 47 Japanese prefectures: Evidence from School Health Surveys," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Convergence; Nutrition; Stature; Standard of living;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • N11 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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