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62 pages 2 hours read

Sven Beckert

Empire of Cotton

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2014

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Essay Topics

1.

Why does Beckert believe that cotton is so important to the birth and evolution of modern capitalism? Which of his arguments do you find most persuasive? Are there ways in which his arguments fall flat?

2.

What is “war capitalism”? How is it related to industrial capitalism? Does war capitalism or evidence of its legacy still exist in the world? If so, where?

3.

While free market capitalism is often said to be free of state intervention, Beckert offers a rich body of evidence that runs contrary to this claim. What are some of the ways in which state power, projected either domestically or in foreign lands, promoted the growth of industrial markets? 

4.

Describe the relationship between capital, the state, and labor, as laid out by Beckert throughout the book. How does each group rely on the other to promote its interests? 

5.

Why did industrialization first occur in Britain in the late 18th century? What preconditions made this particular time and place a natural venue for the rise of the factory system? How was Greg, one of its earliest innovators, well-positioned to become one of the earliest industrial entrepreneurs?

6.

How did America grow to become Europe’s leading supplier of raw cotton in just a few short years in the late 18th century and early 19th century? How did political, social, environmental, and technological factors all conspire to boost America’s cotton exports?

7.

In what ways did Southern elites in the United States use their political influence and the levers of government to suit their needs? Please cite examples from both before and after the abolition of slavery.

8.

What role did cotton play in India’s anti-colonial movement of the 20th century? Why was cotton such a powerful symbol for people like Gandhi and other anti-colonial activists?

9.

Why has cotton cultivation and manufacturing remigrated from Europe and the United States to the global South? How do Western labor movements and multinational retailers like Walmart play into that migration?

10.

Is industrial capitalism on a global scale possible without exploiting labor? Do you agree with Beckert’s optimistic belief that human ingenuity and fortitude 

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