The height gap in 19th-century America: Net-nutritional advantage of the elite increased at the onset of modern economic growth

We present evidence on the 19th-century trend in the height of male US passport applicants. These men represent a much wealthier segment of contemporary society than found in most stature samples previously analyzed. The height trend among the wealthy is much more robust in comparison to the average population that experienced a decline in stature. The resulting increase in the 'height gap'-by roughly 1 in. between cohorts born around 1820 and 1860-is in congruence with evidence on rising wealth inequality and the notion of dietary change in antebellum America.

► This study analyzes historical height records of native-born American men who applied for a passport. ► Stature in this upper-class sample did not decline as in the general population in mid-19th century. ► The resulting 'height gap' is in line with evidence on increasing inequality in material well-being at the onset of modern economic growth.