Research Article

Evolution of disability in late 19th century America: Civil War pensions for Union Army veterans with musculoskeletal conditions†

  1. Peter Blanck Ph.D., J.D.‡,*,
  2. Claudia Linares M.A.§,
  3. Chen Song Ph.D.

Article first published online: 2 DEC 2002

DOI: 10.1002/bsl.508

Issue

Behavioral Sciences & the Law

Behavioral Sciences & the Law

Special Issue: Disability, Public Policy, and Employment

Volume 20, Issue 6, pages 681–697, November/December 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Blanck, P., Linares, C. and Song, C. (2002), Evolution of disability in late 19th century America: Civil War pensions for Union Army veterans with musculoskeletal conditions. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 20: 681–697. doi: 10.1002/bsl.508

Author Information

  1. University of Iowa College of Law, 431 Boyd Law Building, Iowa City, IA 52242-1113, U.S.A.

  1. ‡

    Dr. Blanck is Charles M. and Marion Kierscht Professor of Law; Professor of Public Health and Psychology; and Director of the Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center (LHPDC).

  2. §

    Claudia Linares, M.A., is a research assistant, Center for Population Economics, University of Chicago.

  3. Chen Song, Ph.D., is an Economist, Resolution Economics, LLC.

*University of Iowa College of Law, 431 Boyd Law Building, Iowa City, IA 52242-1113, U.S.A.

  1. †

    The research on the lives of the Civil War veterans would not have been possible without the generous assistance of Dr. Robert Fogel and his colleagues at the University of Chicago. We thank Robert Fogel, Chulhee Lee, Helen Schartz, James Schmeling, Peter Viechnicki, Javier Birchenall, Luis Fernando Medina, Craig Zwerling, and the weekly RA meeting participants at the Center for Population Economics for providing helpful comments on earlier versions of this article. The program of research described herein is supported, in part, by grants from The University of Iowa College of Law Foundation, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, and the National Institute on Health; for information on grant funding and related projects, see www.its.uiowa.edu/law.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 2 DEC 2002
  2. Article first published online: 2 DEC 2002

Funded by

  • The University of Iowa College of Law Foundation
  • National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • National Institute on Health

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Abstract

This article examines the evolution of musculoskeletal (MSK) disability and its impact on mortality and work patterns in the late 19th century in America, in the context of the Civil War disability policy scheme. The study was conducted on 17,702 Union Army (UA) Civil War veterans. Of these, 10,789 were examined and diagnosed with major MSK conditions, rheumatism, sciatica, and spinal curvature, between 1862 and 1907. Analyses examine MSK (i) prevalence rates by birth cohort and age group; (ii) fatality rates as compared with other disabilities; (iii) risk rates by occupation type; and (iv) lifespan for MSK patients. MSK conditions are commonly claimed disabilities within the Civil War data set, with prevalence rates increasing with age. Regression studies show that working in clerical and professional (relative to manual labor) occupations decreases the likelihood of being examined for and diagnosed with MSK conditions. MSK patients examined at older ages tended to have longer lifespan than those examined at younger ages. The findings suggest that changes in age, environmental, and occupational conditions during the late 19th century affected MSK condition prevalence and the average lifespan of MSK patients. Implications for contemporary disability policy are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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