Nnsven beckert empire of cotton a global history books

Cotton is so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible, yet understanding its history is key to understanding the origins of modern capitalism. Beckert painstakingly narrates how cotton became the first global commodity and how it shaped and reshaped lives of peasants, workers and merchants across the world. Cotton is so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible, yet understanding its history is key to understanding the. Too little presentday academic history is written for the general public. Sven beckert, american history professor at harvard university, talks about his book, empire of cotton. Decolonizing the empire of cotton great transition initiative. This post has been adapted from sven beckerts book, empire of cotton. In his important new book, the harvard historian sven beckert makes the. Sven beckert is the laird bell professor of american history at harvard university. Winner of the alfred and fay chandler book award the empire of cotton was, from the beginning, a fulcrum of constant global struggle between slaves and. Empire of cotton won the bancroft prize, and was a finalist for a pulitzer. Sven beckert on the entangled history of cotton, slavery, and capitalism. The stuff of roman robes and royal apparel, of slaves and satanic mills, and of a new empire of capital that still holds sway today. A global history, the first global history of the nineteenth centurys most.

Beckerts empire of cotton and the telos problem society. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Professor beckert will speak about his upcoming new book, empire of cotton. Sven beckert on cotton, slavery, capitalism guest post by. Empire of cotton, by sven beckert the new york times. In his important new book, the harvard historian sven beckert makes the case that in the 19th century what most stirred the universe was cotton. On april 3, 2015, the university of texas at arlington history department hosted sven beckert laird bell professor of history at harvard university as a. It is also the period of full dominance of what beckert calls war capitalism. We see how industrial capitalism then reshaped these worlds of cotton into an empire, and how this empire transformed the world. A global history, about the origins of the global cotton trade and its impact on the. The epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality in the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism. Sven beckert makes clear how these forces ushered in the world of modern.

It is both a gripping narrative and a brilliant case history of how the world works. Through emphasizing the international nature of the cotton industry, beckert exemplifies how history of the. A global history, by sven beckert a worker wades through cotton last year at a ginning mill in pilibanga, rajasthan, india. The empire of cotton was, from the beginning, a fulcrum of constant global struggle between slaves and planters, merchants and statesmen, workers and factory owners. A global history is a winner of the prestigious bancroft prize, and a finalist for the pulitzer prize. Several civilizations in both the old and new world stated using cotton for making fabrics, independently of each other. Beckerts book is more broadly framed and more readable, but at its heart.

For gandhi, simple and homespun, the cotton khadi shirt was a symbol of a resurgent, democratic india. Thus harvard historian sven beckert kicks off his prodigiously researched and encompassing exploration of the first global commodity. The epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality to the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism. Cotton was used in the old world from at least 5000bc. Sven beckert, winner of the pulitzer prize for history, professor of history at harvard university, and author of empire of cotton. Heavy going at times, it is crowded with many more details and statistics a few of them repeated. Those pushing the burgeoning field of classical reception studies probably hadnt intended to leave the door ajar for heavy metal. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Winner of the bancroft prize pulitzer prize finalist winner of the alfred and fay chandler book award the empire of cotton was, from the beginning, a fulcrum of constant global struggle between slaves and planters, merchants and statesmen, workers and factory owners. A global history knopf, 2014, which tells the epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality to the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism.

Empire of cotton is among the best nonfiction books of this year. Cotton, of course, has been grown and worked for millennia, long before the development of capitalism. The publication of sven beckerts empire of cotton is probably among the most significant events in twentyfirst century us historiography. A new history of global capitalism, is a good agrarian, business, and labour history of a single commodity.

The most recent externalist explanation of capitalism is beckerts empire of cotton. Economic, political, social, and cultural themes are interwoven throughout the book. The united states was just one nexus in a much larger story that connected artisans in india, european manufacturers, and, in the americas, african slaves and landgrabbing settlers. Its research is so impressive, and its scale so vast, that it is impossible not to admire its accomplishments. Slavery and capitalism excerpt 4 cotton factories, cotton ports, and cotton plantations of the 18th and 19th centuries. Sven beckert harvard university history department. In sven beckerts sure, spacious, and skillful empire of cotton, we learn that cotton was a monarch of the terrible and flexibly unpredictable kind, a ruthless conqueror, a force that changed our world, more than once. Sven beckerts rich, fascinating book tells the story of how, in a remarkably brief period, european entrepreneurs and powerful statesmen recast the worlds most significant manufacturing industry combining imperial.

The epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its. One of the new york times 10 best books of the year winner of the bancroft prize pulitzer prize finalist the epic story of the rise and fall of the empire of cotton, its centrality to the world economy, and its making and remaking of global capitalism. Just a few pages in and i had already high expectations for this book. The result is a book as unsettling as it is enlightening. A global history, sven beckert reinterprets the history of global capitalism through the lens of cotton, the commodity at the. Sven beckert is laird bell professor of american history at harvard university, where he teaches the history of the united states in the nineteenth century, and global history.

Here is a brief summary of the book from the publisher. The empire of cotton was, from the beginning, a fulcrum of constant global struggle between slaves and planters, merchants and statesmen, farmers and merchants, workers and factory owners. As beckert and others have argued, writing the history of capitalism demands an interdisciplinary and transnational approach, and empire of cotton does not disappoint. With regard to the history of cotton specifically, beckert largely complements giorgio riellos 20 book cotton. Professor beckert researches and teaches the history of the united states in the nineteenth century, with a particular emphasis on the history of capitalism, including its economic, social, political and transnational dimensions. Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows on the cotton plants. I think many readers are disarmed by the books magisterial sweep across time and space, which obscures or subdues its underlying thesis. Everything you thought you knew about the aztecs is wrong. In his introduction to this doorstopping history, sven beckert takes us briefly to manchester, the global center of cotton production in 1860. Today cotton clothes the world, still handing out wealth and misery in equal measure. Wendy smith, boston globe empire of cotton proves sven beckert one of the new elite of genuinely global historians. Desan, he is the codirector of the program on the study of capitalism at harvard university. Sven beckert makes clear how these forces ushered in the world of modern capitalism, including the vast wealth and disturbing inequalities that are with us today.

Sven beckerts longawaited second book examines the central role of cotton in the making of capitalism. A global history is that wonderful new animal in literaturean engrossing, narrative, academic nonfiction pageturner in the vein of thomas pikettys capital in the twentyfirst century and edward. It is astonishing to learn how britain became the capital of the cotton empire, without growing cotton, without the expertise of spinning and weaving and without domestic demand. New york city and the consolidation of the american bourgeoisie, 18501896, 2001 writes convincingly of cotton as the impetus for a worldsystem kind of capitalism. Historian sven beckerts widely acclaimed book, empire of cotton. Winner of the bancroft prizepulitzer prize finalistthe empire of cotton was, from the. Cotton, slavery, and the transformation of the texas borderlands, 18001850 the david j. By deciding to write global history through the prism of a single commodity cotton as a window into the story of the making and remaking of global capitalism and with it of the modern world, xi harvard historian sven beckert got me immediately thinking about, and reappreciating the value of, the opening.

Empire of cotton transcends this barrier and should be devoured eagerly, not only by scholars and students but also by the intelligent reading public. Beckerts american history, harvard univ the american bourgeoisie specialty is capitalism studies. As thomas piketty did in capital in the 21st century, his excellent recent study of wealth and inequality, sven beckert takes the long view in empire of cotton. Beckert practices what is known as global or world history. Sven beckerts superb new book is a history of the overwhelming role played by cotton in dictating the shape of our world. Contents introduction ix chapter i the rise of a global commodity 3 chapter 2 building war capitalism 29 chapter 3 the wages of war capitalism 56 chapter 4. A new history of global capitalism 01 by beckert, sven isbn. A global history, the journal of modern history 88, no. Drawing these kinds of global connections is a relatively recent trend among historians, and beckerts brilliant case study makes it clear how valuable this broader perspective is. Empire of cotton proves sven beckert one of the new elite of genuinely global historians. Beckert makes clear how these forces ushered in the world of modern capitalism, including the vast wealth and disturbing inequalities that are with us today. Beckert, a leading global historian, offers a dark story of capitalism, born of worldwide empire and violence.