Fertility in Massachusetts from the Revolution to the Civil War

Description

Fertility in Massachusetts from the Revolution to the Civil War focuses on the socioeconomic determinants of fertility differentials and trends in Massachusetts from 1765 to 1860.
The book provides useful insights into the nature of the development of Massachusetts in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Topics covered in the text include analysis of the differentials and trends in white fertility ratios at the national, regional, and state levels; differentials and trends in mortality rates in Massachusetts; impact of land scarcity and the role of urbanization and industrialization on fertility; relationship between modernization and changes in fertility in Massachusetts; and the correlation of the decline of fertility in the West with the situation in developing countries.
Demographers, sociologists, historians, researchers, and economists will find the book interesting.

Front Cover 2
Fertility in Massachusetts from the Revolution to the Civil War 5
Copyright Page 6
Dedication 7
Table of Contents 9
Acknowledgments 13
Introduction 17
Chapter 1. Levels and Trends in Fertility in the United States before 1860 27
- The Decline in Fertility in the United States before 1860 27
- Fertility Levels and Trends in Massachusetts and the Other New England States before 1860 30
- Rural—Urban Fertility Differentials 34
- Conclusion 38
Chapter 2. Mortality Rates and Trends in Massachusetts before 1860 41
- Mortality Rates in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Massachusetts 42
- Mortality Rates and Trends in Antebellum Massachusetts 47

Front Cover 2
Fertility in Massachusetts from the Revolution to the Civil War 5
Copyright Page 6
Dedication 7
Table of Contents 9
Acknowledgments 13
Introduction 17
Chapter 1. Levels and Trends in Fertility in the United States before 1860 27
- The Decline in Fertility in the United States before 1860 27
- Fertility Levels and Trends in Massachusetts and the Other New England States before 1860 30
- Rural—Urban Fertility Differentials 34
- Conclusion 38
Chapter 2. Mortality Rates and Trends in Massachusetts before 1860 41
- Mortality Rates in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Massachusetts 42
- Mortality Rates and Trends in Antebellum Massachusetts 47
- Conclusion 53
Chapter 3. Marriage Patterns in Massachusetts 57
- Age at Marriage in Massachusetts 58
- Analysis of Births per Marriage among Massachusetts Communities 65
Chapter 4. Socioeconomic Characteristics of Antebellum Massachusetts 73
- Population Changes 73
- Urban Development 75
- Economic Development 77
- Educational Development 82
Chapter 5. Availability of Easily Accessible Land 89
- Interstate Fertility Variations and the Land Availability Thesis 92
- Fertility Differentials among Massachusetts Towns and Regions and the Land Availability Thesis 93
- The Relationship between Land Availability and Fertility at the Household Level 96
Chapter 6. The Impact of Urban and Industrial Development on Fertility Differentials and Trends 105
- Urbanization and Fertility Differentials in the United States in 1850 and 1860 108
- The Relationship between Measures of Urban and Industrial Development and Fertility Differentials among Massachusetts Towns in 1 110
- Analysis of Rural—Urban Fertility Differentials at the Household Level 114
- Rural—Urban Fertility Differentials and Trends 116
Chapter 7. Demographic and Social Explanations of Variations in the White Refined Fertility Ratios 119
- Sex Ratio of the Population 119
- Ethnic Composition of the Population 124
- Religious Composition of the Population 127
- The Relationship between the Levels of Education of the Population and Fertility Differentials 129
Chapter 8. Speculations on Modernization and the Fertility Decline in Antebellum America 133
- Modernization and the Decline in Fertility 134
- Modernization in America in the Late Eighteenth Century and the First Half of the Nineteenth Century 138
- Levels and Trends in Education in Antebellum America 138
- Levels and Trends in Information Consumption in Antebellum America 145
- Changes in the Occupational Structure of the American Economy 149
- Changing Perception of the Role of the Individual as a Reformer and Shifts in Achievement Orientation 154
- Changes in the Value and Cost of Children 158
- Modernization and the Fertility Decline in Antebellum America 159
Chapter 9. Conclusion 161
- The Experience of Nineteenth-Century America as a Model for Developing Countries Today? 167
APPENDIX A: The Use of Fertility Ratios as Indexes of Birth Rates 171
APPENDIX B: Reliability and Usefulness of Mortality Data 181
APPENDIX C: Results of Regression Analysis of Interstate Fertility Differentials in the United States in 1850 and 1860 193
APPENDIX D: Results of Regression Analysis of Fertility Differentials among Massachusetts Townships from 1765 to 1860 197
APPENDIX E: Tables for the Charts and Graphs Used in the Text 225
Bibliography 249
- Primary Sources 249
- Secondary Works 252
Subject Index 263

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