The Democratization of Invention During Early Industrialization: Evidence from the United States, 1790–1846

Kenneth Sokoloff and B. Zorina Khan

The Journal of Economic History, 1990, vol. 50, issue 2, 363-378

Abstract: The skills and knowledge necessary for patentable invention during early American industrialization were widely dispersed among the general population. This endowment permitted a rather elastic supply of patentable ideas over the relevant range as the expansion of markets induced more individuals to invent and innovate.Although a broadening of the ranks of patentees was primarily responsible for the initial acceleration of patenting, the importance of patentees with greater long-term investments in inventive activity increased during later stages of development.

Date: 1990
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Working Paper: The Democratization of Invention During Early Industrialization: Evidence From the United States, 1790-1846 (1989)
Working Paper: The Democratization of Invention During Early Industrialization: Evidence from the United States, 1790-1846 (1989)
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