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Inventing social capital: Evidence from African American inventors, 1843–1930

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  • Cook, Lisa D.

Abstract

Much recent work has focused on the influence of social capital on innovative outcomes. Little research has been done on disadvantaged groups who were often restricted from participation in social networks that provide information necessary for invention and innovation. Unique new data on African American inventors and patentees between 1843 and 1930 permit an empirical investigation of the relation between social capital and economic outcomes. I find that African Americans used both traditional, i.e., occupation-based, and nontraditional, i.e., civic, networks to maximize inventive output and that laws constraining social-capital formation are most negatively correlated with economically important inventive activity.

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  • Cook, Lisa D., 2011. "Inventing social capital: Evidence from African American inventors, 1843–1930," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 507-518.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:exehis:v:48:y:2011:i:4:p:507-518
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eeh.2011.05.003
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    2. Cook, Lisa D. & Logan, Trevon D. & Parman, John M., 2014. "Distinctively black names in the American past," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 64-82.
    3. Rajennd A/L Muniady & Abdullah Al Mamun & Mohd. Rosli Mohamad & P. Yukthamarani Permarupan & Noor Raihani Binti Zainol, 2015. "The Effect of Cognitive and Relational Social Capital on Structural Social Capital and Micro-Enterprise Performance," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, October.
    4. Collins, William J., 2021. "The Great Migration of Black Americans from the US South: A guide and interpretation," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    5. William H. Phillips, 2008. "The Democratization of Invention in the American South: Antebellum and Post Bellum Technology Markets in the United States," Working Papers 0804, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    6. Ufuk Akcigit & John Grigsby & Tom Nicholas, 2017. "The Rise of American Ingenuity: Innovation and Inventors of the Golden Age," Working Papers 2017-6, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    7. Sarada, Sarada & Andrews, Michael J. & Ziebarth, Nicolas L., 2019. "Changes in the demographics of American inventors, 1870–1940," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    8. Esteves, Rui & Geisler Mesevage, Gabriel, 2019. "Social Networks in Economic History: Opportunities and Challenges," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
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    11. Lisa D. Cook & Chaleampong Kongcharoen, 2010. "The Idea Gap in Pink and Black," NBER Working Papers 16331, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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