Kevin Hjortshoj O Rourke
How much did coal play a role in the Industrial Revolution's growth? We use a panel of European cities ranging in size from 1300 to 1900 to address the question. Prior to 1750, there was no correlation between proximity to coalfields and growth; but, following 1750, cities closest to coalfields grew at a far quicker rate than those further away. We use proximity to Carboniferous era rock strata to detect coal proximity.
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