Inequality and biological welfare during the mining boom: Rio Tinto, 1836-1935

José Martínez-Carrión (), Miguel Pérez de Perceval Verde () and Ángel Martinez Soto ()

No 1401, Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) from Asociación Española de Historia Económica

Abstract: This paper explores the impact of the mining boom in the biological standard of living and inequality in Rio Tinto, the main copper basin of Spain and one of the largest in the world. We use data height of military recruits in two municipalities: Zalamea Real and Nerva between 1856 and 1935 (1836-1914 cohorts). The results show that the height deteriorated in the 1850-1870 cohorts and increased inequality, seeing themselves affected adolescents from 1870 to 1890, when the British firm took its biggest push. During the mining fever and heavy immigration, the cohorts of the late nineteenth century increased the height, but the gap between natives and immigrants and among illiterate and literate also widened. The height of the cohorts of the early twentieth century stagnated due to the business downturn following the increase of competitiveness.

Keywords: Biological welfare; mining; Río Tinto; inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 I12 J24 N13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41
Date: 2014-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gro and nep-his
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ahe:dtaehe:1401

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