The Marital Fertility of American Whites before 1920

Abstract

Marital fertility of US whites before 1920 produced the greatest impact on declining fertility over changes in age at marriage and the proportion of the population marrying. This article reviews previous studies and provides a reanalysis of published data from other studies for trends in marital fertility up to 1910 and geographic differentials for 1905-10. David and Sandersons Cohort Parity Analysis results are also examined. Fertility differences are also studies for immigrants and native born women. The article is divided into 4 sections. The 1st is concerned with the evidence for parity specific control of fertility. Evidence is presented for national trends in increased control at older ages and for geographic differentials. Evidence is taken from Massachusetts Pennsylvania and the northeastern states (Ohio Michigan and western New York) and the western states. The earliest evidence of fertility control increasing with age occurs in the 1820s among the native born of the northeast. Family limitation spread after 1865 and was part of the national picture by 1880. The 2nd reviews the evidence on fertility control at young ages or low parities and estimates the prevalence of childlessness and 1 child families. Estimates in the 3rd section are provided on the average interval among low parity births based on an extension of the Coale and Trussell model. The 4th is devoted to the strategies for childbearing reported in the preceding sections. Regionally in 1910 there were high values in the South and very low levels in the West due to long spacing and moderately low levels in the Northeastern and Northcentral areas due to childlessness and 1 child families. Migration and changing populations complicates the analysis during this period. The 3 complications were the movement of people from the Atlantic Coast to the West the rapid growth of the cities and the rapid increase in the proportion of immigrants from 1880-1910. Further research should take into consideration the following: the spread of fertility limitation from the Northeastern to Northcentral regions and to urban areas 1860-1900; small study areas in comparison to the general region; extrapolation from nonrepresentative groups; the extent of childlessness in different areas at different times; a reexamination of low M values in the Mountain states; and the rapid proliferation of new research on this period.

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