Research

Working Papers

"Land Grants in Colonial Brazil: Long-Term Effects on Inequality and Development" [Job Market Paper, May 2025]

Abstract: The economics literature has argued that inequality can positively or negatively impact long-term economic development. Brazil is a prime case study due to its colonial history of land inequality. This paper examines the long-term effects of colonial land grants on current agricultural land distribution and development across Brazilian municipalities. Using a novel dataset of 3,577 grants from Brazil’s Northeast and Southeast regions, along with historical and modern census data, I find that these grants are associated with increased land concentration, showing a 2-8% increase in large farm holdings in 1920 and 1995. Municipalities with land grants exhibit higher modern GDP per capita and HDI, but also greater income inequality, more land conflicts, and lower land utilization. I also test how the land grants interact with other colonial institutions to study the drivers of land concentration. The research highlights the complex relationship between inequality and development in Brazil, which was shaped by its colonial institutions.

"Jesuit Missionaries in the Colonial Amazon: Long-term Effects on Human Capital" [Working Paper, July 2025] (Submitted)

Abstract: This paper examines the long-term effects of Jesuit missions on human capital and development in the Brazilian Amazon. Using novel Brazilian census data from 1872 and 1890, along with the modern census of 2010, combined with a new dataset on the locations of Jesuit missions in the Brazilian Amazon, I find that areas closer to former missions had higher literacy rates in the 19th century and that difference persists to the present day. Additionally, I observe similar results when employing an instrumental variable approach that considers the locations of Tupi-speaking tribes in the area, and when comparing the Jesuits’ impact to that of other missionary orders. By analyzing individual-level data from the decennial censuses between 1970 and 2010, I demonstrate that these effects have persisted over time.

"Long-Lasting Effects of Exposure to Bible Translations: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa" [Working Paper, July 2024]
with Noelia Romero, Abigail Stocker, and Rebecca Thornton

Abstract: This paper evaluates the impact of early life exposure to Bible translations on education. To estimate causal effects and avoid issues with selection into translation and mission location, we compare educational outcomes across cohorts of individuals within language groups with and without exposure to a Bible translation in their mother-tongue language. We analyze data from a representative sample of approximately 75,000 adults in 13 sub-Saharan African countries using the Demographic and Health Surveys. Our difference-in-differences strategy accounts for the differential timing of Bible translations and the trends in educational outcomes over time within each language group. Individuals born ten years after the first Bible translation are 12 percentage points more likely to be literate later in life and attain 1.3 additional years of education than those born before the translation. Effects do not vary by proximity to missions (either Catholic or Protestant), distance to a printing press, urban area, or religious faith. We provide the first causal evidence of the impact of Bible translations on education.

"Adapting to Agricultural Crises: Coping Strategies and Environmental Trade-offs" (Submitted)
with Protensia Hadunka

Abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces some of the highest deforestation rates in the world. One potential driver is negative agricultural shocks that induce households to exploit natural resources as a coping mechanism. This paper exploits the first appearance of a novel pest to estimate the causal effect of an agricultural shock on charcoal production and deforestation in Zambia. Using four years of household panel data, we find that Fall Armyworm (FAW) infestations significantly increase both outcomes: as FAW intensity rises from zero to the median level, the probability of producing charcoal increases by 16%, leading to a 13.6% rise in deforestation. When farmers can mitigate FAW damage by adjusting maize shares, diversifying crops, applying pesticides, or migrating for off-farm work, they are less likely to rely on charcoal production. Overall, FAW leads households to cut about 13 additional trees, but this effect is reduced by 4-5 trees when coping strategies are available.

Work in Progress

"Surnames and Intergenerational Land Concentration: Evidence from Colonial Land Grants in Brazil"

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