2019/01/16 by Sandra Sequeira, Nathan Nunn, Nancy Qian · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Culture, Economy, and Development Studies #Historical Economic and Social Studies #Monetary Policy and Economic Impact
paper · doi:10.1093/restud/rdz003
openalex publication_date 2019/01/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
Abstract We study the effects of European immigration to the U.S. during the Age of Mass Migration (1850–1920) on economic prosperity. Exploiting cross-county variation in immigration that arises from the interaction of fluctuations in aggregate immigrant flows and of the gradual expansion of the railway network, we find that counties with more historical immigration have higher income, less poverty, less unemployment, higher rates of urbanization, and greater educational attainment today. The long-run effects seem to capture the persistence of short-run benefits, including greater industrialization, increased agricultural productivity, and more innovation.