iture ▁pre val ent ▁during ▁the ▁Long sh an ▁culture ▁period ▁and ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁Three ▁D ynast ies . ▁ ▁Vari ations ▁by ▁class ▁and ▁context ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁strong ▁relationship ▁between ▁fert ility ▁and ▁inheritance ▁in ▁" M alth us ian " ▁context s ▁of ▁resource ▁scarc ity . ▁In ▁context s ▁where ▁resources ▁are ▁pl ent iful , ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁inheritance ▁and ▁social ▁out comes ▁can ▁be ▁different . ▁In ▁the ▁Mid west ▁and ▁N ortheast ▁United ▁States ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁from ▁ 1 7 7 5 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁where ▁resources ▁were ▁pl ent iful , ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁son ▁was ▁posit ively ▁correl ated ▁with ▁wealth ▁and ▁fert ility . ▁As ▁in ▁other ▁western ▁cult ures , ▁but ▁unlike ▁European ▁soci eties ▁where ▁resources ▁were ▁scar ce , ▁this ▁has ▁a ▁complex ▁relationship ▁with ▁inheritance . ▁ ▁In herit ance ▁practices ▁and ▁senior ity ▁of ▁pat ril ine , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁inheritance ▁itself , ▁have ▁varied ▁over ▁time ▁among ▁the ▁Lis u . ▁This ▁was ▁mostly ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁changes ▁in ▁resource ▁avail ability ▁and ▁po ppy ▁cultiv ation . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁daughters ▁currently ▁inherit ▁on ▁average ▁more ▁than ▁sons . ▁In ▁the ▁past , ▁however , ▁the ▁el dest ▁son ▁was ▁fav ored ▁in ▁matters ▁of ▁land ▁inheritance . ▁During ▁the ▁Col onial ▁Period , ▁the ▁el dest ▁son ▁inherited ▁twice ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁other ▁sons ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁colon ies ▁(