“Taking time seriously”: an empirical approach to an American merchant network at the end of the 18th century

Network analysis tends to produce snapshots of structures that can seem permanent, unaffected by time or change. Nonetheless, time matters in network history, and the observation of its effects is an issue. This paper explores ways to assess the evolution of an American merchant network at the end of the eighteenth century, building on a database of transactions recorded in Levi Hollingsworth’s account books. Here, I develop a comparative analysis of five successive networks, using a mix of classical and more innovative network metrics. Specifically, I question the stability of merchant networks in their composition and overall structure. I establish that, despite an intense turnover of members, they remained stable in their organization over time.