Description
Recurring periods of warfare and outbreaks of epidemic disease are often invoked as determinants for early modern European economic development, albeit with a variety of conflicting explanations on their role. Current empirical evidence relies heavily on local case studies or inference from low resolution macro data, resulting in a paucity of systematic evidence. In this paper, we focus on the impact of warfare and epidemic disease on mortality patterns throughout the seventeenth-century Low Countries. Using a new dataset of burials for 415 localities combined with a detailed reconstruction of recurring warfare in the region, we test the spatial and chronological links between the three. We provide evidence on the long-standing notion that warfare facilitated the spread of epidemics, documenting a spatially uneven spread of raised mortality relative to war. Furthermore, we analyze these patterns between urban and rural settlements, across different episodes of wars, and across political units.| Period | 7 Sept 2018 |
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| Event title | Annual Meeting of the Economic History Association |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Montreal, CanadaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |
Research programs
- ESHCC HIS