Essays on the economic history of numeracy in Spain

Abstract

The aim of this investigation is to increase our knowledge of human capital in Spain during periods (the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries) for which empirical evidence is scarce. The findings of this research will contribute to filling the gap in this topic. Apart from estimating the numeracy levels of Spaniards, I address important research questions posed by economic historians. Was there already a relationship between inequality and human capital in the early Modern Era? What was the self-selection of migrants to Latin America like during the sixteenth century? Did the level of parental human capital, among other factors, have any influence on the schooling and child labour decisions of their children in eighteenth century Castile?