The promise of freedom: Fertility decisions and the escape from slavery

Treb Allen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper examines how the fertility of enslaved women was affected by the promise of freedom. Exploiting geographic variation in the effect of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, I demonstrate a negative correlation between fertility and the distance to freedom. This negative correlation is stronger on larger plantations but weaker when the slaveholder is a woman. A similar correlation is not present for white children, slave children with white fathers, or slave children born prior to the Fugitive Slave Law. The negative correlation suggests that the promise of freedom played an important role in the everyday lives of slaves.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)472-484
Number of pages13
JournalReview of Economics and Statistics
Volume97
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Economics and Econometrics

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