Working Paper: NBER ID: w14745
Authors: Chulhee Lee
Abstract: This paper investigates patterns of socioeconomic difference in the wartime morbidity and mortality of black Union Army soldiers. Among the factors that contributed to a lower probability of contracting and dying from diseases were (1) lighter skin color, (2) a non-field occupation, (3) residence on a large plantation, and (4) residence in a rural area prior to enlistment. Patterns of disease-specific mortality and timing of death suggest that the differences in the development of immunity against diseases and in nutritional status prior to enlistment were responsible for the observed socioeconomic differences in wartime health. For example, the advantages of light-skinned soldiers over dark-skinned and of enlisted men formerly engaged in non-field occupations over field hands resulted from differences in nutritional status. The lower wartime mortality of ex-slaves from large plantations can be explained by their better-developed immunity as well as superior nutritional status. The results of this paper suggest that there were substantial disparities in the health of the slave population on the eve of the Civil War.
Keywords: health disparities; black soldiers; Civil War; socioeconomic status; mortality
JEL Codes: N31; N41
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| lighter-skinned soldiers (J45) | lower probability of contracting and dying from diseases (I14) |
| nutritional status prior to enlistment (I19) | lower probability of contracting and dying from diseases (I14) |
| non-field occupations (J44) | lower probability of contracting and dying from diseases (I14) |
| nutritional status (I31) | lower probability of contracting and dying from diseases (I14) |
| ex-slaves from large plantations (J47) | lower risks of disease and mortality (I12) |
| better-developed immunity and nutritional advantages (I15) | lower risks of disease and mortality (I12) |
| urban residency prior to enlistment (R21) | reduced chances of suffering from and dying from diseases (I12) |
| greater exposure to disease environments (I14) | better immunity (I12) |
| age (J14) | disease contraction (I12) |