The Decline of Black Marital Fertility in the Rural South: 1910-1940

Abstract

Age-specific marital fertility rates are derived for the rural South in 1905-10 and 1935-40. Separate estimates are made for blacks and whites and for farm and nonfarm residents. The resulting marital fertility schedules are used to estimate the degree of family limitation practiced by the different population groups. Both black and white marital fertility fell sharply during this 30 year period with especially sharp declines for nonfarm residents. There is also evidence that deliberate family limitation became more widespread for both races during this period. By 1935-40 nonfarm residents had adopted essentially modern childbearing patterns. While high fertility persisted longer among farm women they too experienced sharp reductions in marital fertility and a nascent adoption of family limitation. (authors modified)