The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The “Half Has Never Been Told” is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the complicated process of ‘creative destruction’ that generated unprecedented white wealth and systematic exploitation of the individuals who produced it – in equal measure. Objective and straightforward, Baptist’s work is an unadorned, yet evocatively readable and well-sourced examination into the intricate economic and political factors that benefited Americans and Europeans alike; all parties are held accountable. In addition to documenting the unconscionable human tragedy that underscores the slave era, Baptist also explains how economically devastating bubbles develop, gain momentum, and inevitably burst. The parallels between financial crises in the early decades of the nineteenth century and our recent years illustrate how mistakes of the past repeat and haunt us. This book is as ambitious in its scope as it is brilliant. The “Half Has Never Been Told” is important in helping us understand how who we were ultimately shaped who we became. We can’t white-out the indelible ink of the past, but this book can change how Americans think and move forward into the future.
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