This paper draws broad comparisons between marriage patterns by race, by
education, and by religion in the U.S. for the entire 20th century, using a variety of data
sources. The comparative approach allows several general conclusions. First, racial
endogamy has declined sharply over the 20th century, but race is still the most powerful
division in the marriage market. Second, higher education has little effect on racial
endogamy for blacks and whites. Third, the division between Jews and Christians is still
strong, but the division between Catholics and Protestants in the marriage market has
been relatively weak since the early 20th century. Fourth, educational endogamy has been
relatively stable over time.