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The “Egalitarian Myth,” Once Again

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2016

Robert E. Gallman
Robert E. Gallman*
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
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Extract

In the winter of 1978 Social Science History published a short note by me (Gallman, 1978) that questioned certain features of Professor Edward Pessen’s critique of the egalitarian hypothesis. In the winter of 1979 Professor Pessen (1979) responded to me, at great length. The editors have kindly offered me the opportunity to reply. The space limitations they have imposed upon the debate do not permit me to comment on each issue raised by Professor Pessen, nor do I think that that is necessary. I plan only to repeat the main points of my orginal note and to indicate how far I think Professor Pessen’s paper has affected them. As will appear, I believe my note has survived Professor Pessen’s critique well, and has gained strength from research done since it was written.

Type
Comment and Debate
Information
Social Science History , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , Spring 1981 , pp. 223 - 234
Copyright
Copyright © Social Science History Association 1981

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References

Atack, J. and Bateman, F. (forthcoming) “The ‘Egalitarian Ideal’ and the distribution of wealth in the northern agricultural community: a backward look.” Rev. of Economics and Statistics.Google Scholar
Davies, J. B. (1980) “On the relative quantitative importance of inheritance and other sources of economic inequality.” Report 8012, Department of Economics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada (June).Google Scholar
Gallman, R. E. (1978) “Professor Pessen on the ‘Egalitarian-Myth.’” Social Science History (Winter).Google Scholar
Gallman, R. E. (1975) “Southern ante-bellum income reconsidered.” Explorations in Economic History (January).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pessen, E. (1979) “On a recent cliometric attempt to resurrect the myth of antebellum egalitarianism.” Social Science History (Winter).Google Scholar
Soltow, L. (1975) Men and Wealth in the United States, 1850-1870. New Haven and London.Google Scholar
Yam, J. (1974) “The age and sex structure of Canada’s population: a compendium of selected data.” Analytical and Technical Memorandum 9, Statistics of Canada, Ottawa (January).Google Scholar