This is a study of the economic and social factors that shaped death rates for various causes during industrialization in nineteenth century New England. It will focus on the period 1850- 1910 in six communities of western Massachusetts, linking vital statistics registers with census manuscript schedules to achieve a panel design. The study will address specific hypotheses concerning the effects of changes in occupational diversity and the distribution of wealth on mortality, while controlling for other demographic and health influences. Studies in historical demography, such as this one, are among the most scientific contributions to American History, and they use historical data to answer general questions about changes in population dynamics. This research will help us understand how social and economic factors led to substantial decreases in death rates in the United States, providing a solid comparative framework for interpreting trends in developing nations today.
