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Did Steam Engines Fuel Urban Growth in the Late Nineteenth Century? Less Sanguine Results

Author

Listed:
  • Burton A. Abrams

    (Department of Economics, University of Delaware)

  • Jing Li

    (Department of Economics, University of Delaware)

  • James G. Mulligan

    (Department of Economics, University of Delaware)

Abstract

There exists general agreement that the steam engine’s rise in importance occurred at the same time as large increases in firm size and growing urbanization, but no consensus concerning the degree to which the steam engine served as an exogenous force fueling urban growth. We reexamine the hypothesis that a leading brand of steam engine made by the Corliss Company fueled urbanization in the late nineteenth century. Using previously untapped county-level data on steam power in manufacturing, we show that there is little convincing evidence that either the Corliss engine or even steam power in general was the driving force behind urbanization.

Suggested Citation

  • Burton A. Abrams & Jing Li & James G. Mulligan, 2007. "Did Steam Engines Fuel Urban Growth in the Late Nineteenth Century? Less Sanguine Results," Working Papers 07-12, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:dlw:wpaper:07-12.
    as

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    File URL: http://graduate.lerner.udel.edu/sites/default/files/ECON/PDFs/RePEc/dlw/WorkingPapers/2007/UDWP2007-12.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert J. Barro & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1991. "Convergence across States and Regions," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 22(1), pages 107-182.
    2. Nathan Rosenberg & Manuel Trajtenberg, 2009. "A General-Purpose Technology at Work: The Corliss Steam Engine in the Late-Nineteenth-Century United States," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Studies On Science And The Innovation Process Selected Works of Nathan Rosenberg, chapter 6, pages 97-135, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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