ABSTRACT
One of the more frequently discussed aspects of nineteenth century development is the emergence of a national market. However it is doubtful whether such a market existed in the middle of the century for more than a very limited range of products, among which should be listed boots and shoes, ready-made clothing, cotten textiles and machinery. Evidence of a national market especially for boots and shoes and for cotten textiles is quite pronounced. This chapter focuses on the first three of these because of the limited number of observations of machinery manufacturers. Analysis of these three industries is, however, complicated by technological change, for whereas technological change was minimal in the local industries, notably flour and lumber milling, it appears to have been important in the manufacture of boots and shoes, ready-made clothing and cottons. This technological change makes it difficult, if not impossible, to compare the production function estimates from decade to decade.
