#Econhist papers I (mostly) admire, September 2024

On Donald Duck, Christians in Ancient Greece, Bad Chinese Emperors, Corporate Concentration, Jim Crow, Women's Chastity and more...

Every month (since Aug 2023) I handpick and review ten standout papers on economic history. This month, I’ve added a complementary ChatGPT-generated management-speak tweet! As a paid member, you’ll unlock exclusive access to the complete curated list. Previous lists: Aug 23, Sep 23, Oct 23, Nov 23, Dec 23, Jan 24, Feb 24, Mar 24, Apr 24, May 24, Jun 24, Jul 24 and Aug 24. To celebrate Heritage Day in South Africa this week, you can subscribe at 50% off until 30 September and support the exploration of our shared economic past.

1. Feeding African Cities: Hinterland Suitability and Urban Growth in Twentieth-Century Sub-Saharan Africa

By Tanik Joshipura

Research Question: The paper investigates how the suitability of urban hinterlands in Sub-Saharan Africa influenced urban growth over the 20th century. It examines whether the reliance of cities on their surrounding agricultural areas for food production diminished and, if so, what factors drove this shift.

Research Results: The analysis reveals that, until the 1960s, the agricultural suitability of hinterlands was crucial for urban growth. However, after the 1960s, this relationship weakened significantly. Cities began to rely more on intercontinental food imports due to reduced shipping costs, low global food prices, and shifts in policy favouring urban over rural development. These changes allowed cities to grow beyond the limitations set by their local agricultural capacity.

Urban growth in 20th-century Sub-Saharan Africa? Hinterland dependence on food is so pre-1960s. With global imports and urban-friendly policies, cities skyrocketed past local agri-limits. #GlobalizationWins #UrbanizationBoom #Efficiency

2. Innovation Networks in the Industrial Revolution

By Lukas Rosenberger, W. Walker Hanlon and Carl Hallmann

Research Question: The paper investigates why Britain experienced faster economic growth during the Industrial Revolution compared to France. It explores whether the advantage lay in the centrality of British inventors within an innovation network, where specific technologies like steam engines and machine tools generated more spillover benefits, leading to more rapid technological progress.

Research Results: The study finds that British inventors worked in more central technologies within the innovation network, such as steam engines, which had broader impacts on other sectors. This centrality contributed significantly to Britain's faster industrial growth. The paper estimates that the location of British inventors within this network explains a substantial part of the growth differential between Britain and France.

Why did Britain outpace France in the Industrial Revolution? Innovation networks, my friend! British inventors focused on tech that spread progress like wildfire. Steam engines were just the start! #InnovationSpillovers #GrowthUnlocked #EconomicHistory