蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Silent Partners: Corporate Ownership, Risk, and the Gender Asset Gap in Antebellum New England
蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings
vol. 115,
May 2025
(pp. 489–94)
Abstract
Little is known about corporate ownership, personal wealth, and the composition of investment portfolios by gender during early US industrialization. A sample of 42,500 shareholders in over 200 corporations highlights women's increasing contributions to capital mobilization in banking, manufacturing, and transportation. Female investors assumed significantly higher risk than men in several dimensions. Equity ownership accounted for a larger fraction of women's total assets, their portfolios were not as diversified across firms, and their propensity to hold shares altered less over the life cycle. Such patterns suggest that women's economic decision-making was likely more constrained than that of their male counterparts.Citation
Khan, B Zorina. 2025. "Silent Partners: Corporate Ownership, Risk, and the Gender Asset Gap in Antebellum New England." 蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings 115: 489–94. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20251068Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- G32 Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
- G51 Household Finance: Household Saving, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- N21 Economic History: Financial Markets and Institutions: U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
- N31 Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
- N81 Micro-Business History: U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913