Finding Eldorado: Slavery and Long-run Development in Colombia
Slavery has been a major institution of labor coercion throughout history. Colonial societies used slavery intensively across the Americas, and slavery remained prevalent in most countries after independence from the European powers. We investigate the impact of slavery on long-run development in Co...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
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Cambridge, MA: Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2012
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/71534 |
| _version_ | 1826200805389107200 |
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| author | Acemoglu, Daron Garcia-Jimeno, Camilo Robinson, James A. |
| author_facet | Acemoglu, Daron Garcia-Jimeno, Camilo Robinson, James A. |
| author_sort | Acemoglu, Daron |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Slavery has been a major institution of labor coercion throughout history. Colonial societies used slavery intensively across the Americas, and slavery remained prevalent in most countries after independence from the European powers. We investigate the impact of slavery on long-run development in Colombia. Our identification strategy compares municipalities that had gold mines during the 17th and 18th centuries to neighboring municipalities without gold mines. Gold mining was a major source of demand for slave labor during colonial times, and all colonial gold mines are now depleted. We find that the historical presence of slavery is associated with increased poverty and reduced school enrollment, vaccination coverage and public good provision. We also find that slavery is associated with higher contemporary land inequality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:41:39Z |
| format | Working Paper |
| id | mit-1721.1/71534 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:41:39Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | Cambridge, MA: Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/715342019-04-11T07:47:03Z Finding Eldorado: Slavery and Long-run Development in Colombia Acemoglu, Daron Garcia-Jimeno, Camilo Robinson, James A. Slavery Public Goods Slavery has been a major institution of labor coercion throughout history. Colonial societies used slavery intensively across the Americas, and slavery remained prevalent in most countries after independence from the European powers. We investigate the impact of slavery on long-run development in Colombia. Our identification strategy compares municipalities that had gold mines during the 17th and 18th centuries to neighboring municipalities without gold mines. Gold mining was a major source of demand for slave labor during colonial times, and all colonial gold mines are now depleted. We find that the historical presence of slavery is associated with increased poverty and reduced school enrollment, vaccination coverage and public good provision. We also find that slavery is associated with higher contemporary land inequality. 2012-07-03T23:08:25Z 2012-07-03T23:08:25Z 2012-06-12 Working Paper http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/71534 Working paper, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics;12-16 An error occurred on the license name. An error occurred getting the license - uri. application/pdf Cambridge, MA: Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Slavery Public Goods Acemoglu, Daron Garcia-Jimeno, Camilo Robinson, James A. Finding Eldorado: Slavery and Long-run Development in Colombia |
| title | Finding Eldorado: Slavery and Long-run Development in Colombia |
| title_full | Finding Eldorado: Slavery and Long-run Development in Colombia |
| title_fullStr | Finding Eldorado: Slavery and Long-run Development in Colombia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Finding Eldorado: Slavery and Long-run Development in Colombia |
| title_short | Finding Eldorado: Slavery and Long-run Development in Colombia |
| title_sort | finding eldorado slavery and long run development in colombia |
| topic | Slavery Public Goods |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/71534 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT acemogludaron findingeldoradoslaveryandlongrundevelopmentincolombia AT garciajimenocamilo findingeldoradoslaveryandlongrundevelopmentincolombia AT robinsonjamesa findingeldoradoslaveryandlongrundevelopmentincolombia |