Brazilian entrepreneur: a comparative study
Abstract
This work examines the debate about the Brazilian entrepreneur, aiming at challenging
the widely accepted vision that the Paulista and Carioca experiences, in what concerns
the formation of the entrepreneurial class, can be extended to other parts of Brazil.
The work compares the social background and the sources of capital of Mineiro, Paulista
and Carioca entrepreneurs in the XIXth century. The analysis reveals that Mineiro entrepreneurs
came from the local elite constituted basically by Brazilians and that the sources of
capital (mainly, agriculture and trade) used by Mineiro entrepreneurs were distinct in their
nature, with coffee and the import-export trade having a less relevant role.
JEL Classification: N86; N96.
Keywords: History of entrepreneurship economic history of Minas Gerais