Persistent Social Networks: Civil War Veterans who Fought Together Co-Locate in Later Life / Dora L. Costa, Matthew E. Kahn, Christopher Roudiez, Sven Wilson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Costa, Dora L.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Kahn, Matthew E.

Roudiez, Christopher.

Wilson, Sven.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w22397.

NBER working paper series no. w22397

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Persistent Social Networks

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2016.

Summary:

At the end of the U.S Civil War, veterans had to choose whether to return to their prewar communities or move to new areas. The late 19th Century was a time of sharp urban growth as workers sought out the economic opportunities offered by cities. By estimating discrete choice migration models, we quantify the tradeoffs that veterans faced. Veterans were less likely to move far from their origin and avoided urban immigrant areas and high mortality risk areas. They also avoided areas that opposed the Civil War. Veterans were more likely to move to a neighborhood or a county where men from their same war company lived. This co-location evidence highlights the existence of persistent social networks. Such social networks had long-term consequences: veterans living close to war time friends enjoyed a longer life.

Notes:

Print version record

July 2016.