Capitalism

Ever wondered how capitalism truly conquered the world? It wasn't just through innovation and free markets. Discover the uncomfortable, often brutal, history of how a system built on cotton, coercion, and colonial power reshaped every corner of the globe and continues to define your life today. You'll travel back to the era of "war capitalism," where state power and slavery laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution. Uncover how this aggressive global expansion created the interconnected economic world we know, revealing the hidden forces that drive wealth, inequality, and power.

Sven Beckert is the Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard University, where his research focuses on the history of capitalism, globalization, and the United States. This expertise grew from his deep exploration into the nineteenth century, uncovering how the global expansion of European capitalism was built on the subjugation of people and the transformation of the natural world. His work reveals the intricate and often violent connections that shaped our modern economic landscape, offering a powerful new perspective on its origins.