Trends in assortative mating in the United States, 1700-1910. Evidence from FamiLinx data.

ABSTRACT: Couple formation and assortative mating significantly influence societal structures, as marriages between individuals from diverse geographical or social backgrounds promote intra-family diversity. Understanding these patterns is crucial for grasping the demographic processes that shape contemporary societies. However, the scarcity of comprehensive data has impeded progress in this area. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating assortative mating trends in the United States among birth cohorts from 1700 to 1910, utilizing data from FamiLinx, an online crowdsourced genealogical database. We focus on two primary dimensions: migration background (including natives, first and second-generation migrants) and age at marriage. Our analysis yields three major findings. First, we document

SUBMITTER: Corti G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11573314 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature