Little research exists on the body mass index (BMI) values of 19th-century Southern blacks and whites. Using a new BMI data set and sensitivity analysis, this paper demonstrates that Southern blacks´ BMIs were greater than whites´ and both declined throughout the 19th century; therefore, the...

This article considers the relationship between stature, race, institutional change, and proximity to urban centers during economic development. A new data set of male inmates from the 19th century Philadelphia County prison is introduced to compare black and white statures during...

This paper considers the institutional arrangements and labor market forces that interacted in the construction of America's transcontinental railroad. The demand for Chinese laborers on the transcontinental railroad was a product of a complex set of relationships, including the transaction...

The Perpetual Emigrating Fund was a 19th century form of indentured migration that assisted European immigrants to America's Great Basin. Immigrants signed future contracts against their Great Basin labor to repay migration loans. The Fund encountered high monitoring costs to enforce contracts...