This paper seeks to better understand the historical origins of current differences in norms and beliefs about the appropriate role of women in society. We test the hypothesis that traditional agricultural practices influenced the historical gender division of labor and the evolution and...

Ecclesiastical responses to the fifteenth-century recession -- Path dependency on the eclesiastical estates in the sixteenth century -- The great lay landowners -- The fortunes of the gentry -- The influx of 'new' wealth -- The rise of the church leaseholder -- Diverging experiences: yeomen and...