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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · 2d

Was thrilled to write this for @broadstreetblog.bsky.social (which I recommend for anyone interested in historical political economy)

www.broadstreet.blog/p/blood-and-...

Blood and Iron: Political Fragmentation in the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean

How new technology reshaped the political equilibrium of the early Iron Age through violence.

www.broadstreet.blog

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Jul 16

Thanks to everyone who has given comments on this paper through the years!

Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Jul 16

In addition to this, I look at the late 20th century and find results that are suggestive that there may be less persistence than assumed in the long-run. (6/6)

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Jul 16

My argument is that imperial institutions are driving part of the effect. Lower level institutional shocks (Catholicism) are interacting with the higher level imperial institutions, leading to heterogenous effects. (5/6)

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Jul 16

Why the difference? If we look at education, the human capital argument might be an answer. But I theorize it might be due to different imperial institutions.

Historical work points towards the French being more diplomatic in their relations, and the Spanish more coercive(4/6)

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Jul 16

I found that tribes historically treated by the Spanish had lower incomes in the early 20th century relative to non-treated in the southwest. Tribes historically treated by the French had higher incomes. (3/6)

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Jul 16

Using census and historical mission data, I look at whether the French and Spanish had different impacts on long-term income for Indigenous in America (2/6)

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Jul 16

🚨New Working Paper 🚨

Did Catholic missions have an impact on American Indigenous communities? Were the effects different depending on the origin of the missionaries? These are things I examine in this paper: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... (1/6)

The Heterogeneous Effects of Historical Mission Exposure and Indigenous Development

The colonization of the New World was heavily intertwined with the Catholicization of the Americas. This paper seeks to understand the interactions between Nati

papers.ssrn.com

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Jun 13

Some personal/professional news: I am excited to be joining the Economics Department @upenn.bsky.social and the Penn Initiative for the Study of Markets as a Postdoc in Fall 2025!

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · May 2

The paperwork has been filed and I am happy to announce that my dissertation has been successfully defended! Thankful to my fantastic advisor @markkoyama.bsky.social and amazing committee @jonathanschulz.bsky.social @vincentgeloso.bsky.social @ndjohnson.bsky.social

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Apr 30

Very interesting! Congrats!

Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Apr 30

Thanks for the kind word on the paper! We’ve been fortunate enough to present an earlier draft at a classicist conference, but I would be interested in how the paper is generally received by them

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Reposted by Patrick Fitzsimmons

Alice Evans @draliceevans.bsky.social · Apr 28

"Democracies don't go to war", they say.

Tell that to Athens & Syracuse.

Super cool analysis of ancient Greek city-states suggests that democracies actually fought more battles!

cc @economeager.bsky.social & @patrickwyman.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Apr 10

Thanks!

Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Apr 9

This paper is now out in JEBO! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Mar 27

Co-authored with @vincentgeloso.bsky.social and @jrhall1066.bsky.social

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Mar 27

I am happy to share that this is now published!

Did the Great Leveling begin after 1921?

The U-Curve of income inequality in the United States is a longstanding stylised fact in economic history. The ‘Great Leveling’ that led to the trough that lasted from the 1940s to the early 1980s ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Feb 15

This group is doing a lot of cool research. Highly recommend checking them out!

Alberto Bisin @albertobisin.bsky.social · Feb 14

Great postodoc opportunities ... economics and archeology .... fascinating project .... please look

www.origins-project.com/open-positions

Open Positions

Postdoc in Archeology of Bronze Age Mesopotamia

www.origins-project.com

Reposted by Patrick Fitzsimmons

NBER @nber.org · Dec 27

What sparked humanity's leap from stagnation to prosperity? What lies at the core of inequality among nations? Insights from Unified Growth Theory, from Oded Galor https://www.nber.org/papers/w33288

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Reposted by Patrick Fitzsimmons

Federico Tadei @federicotadei.bsky.social · Nov 18

I am putting together a starter pack with researchers working on the Economic History of Africa. Let me know if you’d like to be included!

go.bsky.app/EmGLkbT

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Reposted by Patrick Fitzsimmons

Alexander Donges @alexanderdonges.bsky.social · Nov 20

And another starter pack for those of you who are interested in German economic history, including economists and economic historians who have worked on topics related to German economic history...

go.bsky.app/U3ibbB

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Patrick Fitzsimmons @patrubenfitz.bsky.social · Nov 19

Would love to be added if possible :)

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Reposted by Patrick Fitzsimmons

Magnus B Rasmussen @magnusrasmussen.bsky.social · Nov 12

I made a quick starter pack on scholars working/having worked on historical political economy (wide definition). go.bsky.app/Hz9LmgL

(please make [self]suggestions to improve the starter pack)

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Reposted by Patrick Fitzsimmons

Pseudoerasmus @pseudoerasmus.bsky.social · Nov 18

There are now FIVE economic-history-related starter packs, listed in order of their emergence...:

EH1 @benmschneider.bsky.social
bsky.app/starter-pack...

EH2 @jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social
bsky.app/starter-pack...

Historical Political Economy @magnusrasmussen.bsky.social

bsky.app/starter-pack...

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Reposted by Patrick Fitzsimmons

Cristián (Tambo) Ducoing @tamboduc.bsky.social · Nov 19

go.bsky.app/4u79zTF

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