Did Corliss Steam Engines Fuel Urban Growth in the Late Nineteenth Century? Less Sanguine Results

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: University of Delaware; University of Delaware
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0507
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022050708000843
• 发表日期: 2008
• 页码: 1172-1176
• 关键词: UNITED-STATES

摘要

There is general agreement that the steam engine's rise in importance Occurred at the same time as growing urbanization, but considerable disagreement concerning the steam engine's role as an independent force fueling urban growth, In particular, Nathan Rosenberg and Manuel Trajtenberg (hereafter, RT) hypothesize that the Corliss steam engine, served as a catalyst for the industry's massive relocation into large urban centers, thus fueling agglomeration economies and further population growth. Based on results using a more complete version of their data set, we find little support for this hypothesis.