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Colonialism and rural inequality in Sierra Leone: an egalitarian experiment

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  • Stefania Galli
  • Klas Rönnbäck

Abstract

We analyze the level of inequality in rural Sierra Leone in the early colonial period. Previous research has suggested that the colony was established under highly egalitarian ideals. We examine whether these ideals also are reflected in the real distribution of wealth in the colony. We employ a newly assembled dataset extracted from census data in the colony in 1831. The results show that rural Sierra Leone exhibited one of the most equal distributions of wealth so far estimated for any preindustrial rural society.

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  • Stefania Galli & Klas Rönnbäck, 2020. "Colonialism and rural inequality in Sierra Leone: an egalitarian experiment," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 24(3), pages 468-501.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:ereveh:v:24:y:2020:i:3:p:468-501.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ereh/hez011
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