Technology · 20 min
Empire of Cotton
By Sven Beckert
This episode reveals how the seemingly simple fiber of cotton became the engine of global capitalism, industrialization, and enduring inequality, weaving a brutal history into the fabric of our modern world.
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Category
Technology
Duration
20 min
What it is about
Global history, capitalism, colonialism, labor
Who it is for
If you've ever wondered how the everyday objects around you carry the weight of history, this episode will illuminate the brutal, foundational role of cotton in shaping our interconnected, unequal world, and this will help you see what to do next.
The author
Sven Beckert, a Harvard historian, meticulously unearths the global story of cotton, revealing how its production and trade became the engine of modern capitalism and a blueprint for global power dynamics.
About the author
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