The Effects Of The 1755 Earthquake

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I begin by estimating the direct effects of the earthquake, including the casualties and the impact on GDP. I also examine its impact on prices at the regional level, using new data on builders’ wages.
Impact on Population
Estimates of the death and casualty tolls of the 1755 earthquake vary tremendously, ranging from 10,000 to almost 100,000 in Lisbon alone.
The widely divergent figures are partly due to the lack of reliable estimates of the Portuguese population before 1755.6 The problem is compounded by the government’s decision (taken because of fears of plague and disease) to dispose of the corpses swiftly, by burying them in mass graves or throwing them into the open sea. Many people also changed parishes after the earthquake.
The uncertainty

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