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Historical Perspectives on Racial Differences in Schooling in the United States

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Author Info
William J. Collins () (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University)
Robert A. Margo () (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University)

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Abstract

African-Americans entered the post-Civil War era with extremely low levels of exposure to schooling. Relying primarily on micro-level census data, we describe racial differences in literacy rates, school attendance, years of educational attainment, age-in-grade distributions, spending per pupil, and returns to literacy since emancipation, with emphasis on the pre-1960 period. The overwhelming theme is one of educational convergence, despite overt discrimination for much of the period studied, and subject to several qualifications. We interpret this theme in light of a simple model of educational attainment.

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File URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/wparchive/workpaper/vu03-w13.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function: First version, 2003
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University in its series Working Papers with number 0313.

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Date of creation: Jun 2003
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Handle: RePEc:van:wpaper:0313

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Related research
Keywords: Brown education Plessy

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination
N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Margo, Robert A, 1986. "Educational Achievement in Segregated School Systems: The Effects of "Separate-but-Equal."," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(4), pages 794-801, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. William J.Collins & Robert A. Margo, 2000. "Race and Home Ownership: A Century-Long View," Working Papers 0012, Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University. [Downloadable!]
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  3. Orazem, Peter, 2003. "Black-White Differences in Schooling Investment and Human Capital Production in Segregated Schools," Staff General Research Papers 11130, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
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  4. David Card & Alan B. Krueger, 1991. "School Quality and Black-White Relative Earnings: A Direct Assessment," NBER Working Papers 3713, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Vigdor, Jacob L., 2002. "The Pursuit of Opportunity: Explaining Selective Black Migration," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 391-417, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Margo, Robert A, 1986. "Race and Human Capital: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 1221-24, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Smith, James P & Welch, Finis R, 1989. "Black Economic Progress after Myrdal," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 27(2), pages 519-64, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Margo, Robert A, 1991. "Segregated Schools and the Mobility Hypothesis: A Model of Local Government Discrimination," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 106(1), pages 61-73, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Smith, James P, 1986. "Race and Human Capital: Reply," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 1225-29, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Higgs, Robert, 1982. "Accumulation of Property by Southern Blacks before World War I," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(4), pages 725-37, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Smith, James P, 1984. "Race and Human Capital," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(4), pages 685-98, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Robert A. Margo, 2002. "The North-South Wage Gap, Before and After the Civil War," NBER Working Papers 8778, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Margo, Robert A, 1984. "Accumulation of Property by Southern Blacks before World War I: Comment and Further Evidence," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(4), pages 768-76, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Derek Neal, 2005. "Why Has Black-White Skill Convergence Stopped?," NBER Working Papers 11090, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Dora L. Costa & Matthew E. Kahn, 2004. "Forging a New Identity: The Costs and Benefits of Diversity in Civil War Combat Units for Black Slaves and Freemen," NBER Working Papers 11013, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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