Liberation Technology? The Impact of the Sewing Machine on Women*

Philipp Ager and Davide M. Coluccia

Bristol Economics Discussion Papers from School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK

Abstract: This paper provides novel evidence on how technological change shaped women s labor market participation, fertility, and marriage in 19th-century Massachusetts. We distinguish between the sewing machine s dual role as a manufacturing technology and as a household appliance. Using rich town- and individual-level longitudinal data, we show that this innovation induced divergent responses across the wealth distribution. Women from lower-wealth households increased labor supply, delaying marriage and reducing fertility. In contrast, for wealthier women, the sewing machine functioned as a domestic efficiency tool, enabling earlier family formation and greater civic engagement while reducing market work. Our findings demonstrate how household constraints and social norms mediate the effects of labor-saving technologies, suggesting that technological progress can reinforce inequality by influencing women s economic and social roles.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bri:uobdis:26/831

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