On the biological standard of living of eighteenth-century Americans: Taller, richer, healthier

Abstract

This study analyses the physical stature of runaway apprentices and military deserters based on advertisements collected from 18th-century newspapers, in order to explore the biological welfare of colonial and early-national Americans. The results indicate that heights declined somewhat at mid-century, but increased substantially thereafter. The findings are generally in keeping with trends in mortality and in economic activity. The Americans were much taller than Europeans: by the 1780s adults were as much as 6.6 cm taller than Englishmen, and at age 16 American apprentices were some 12 cm taller than the poor children of London.

Citation

Komlos, J. (2001), "On the biological standard of living of eighteenth-century Americans: Taller, richer, healthier", Research in Economic History (Research in Economic History, Vol. 20), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 223-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0363-3268(01)20007-X