Empire of Cotton

Résumé du livre

Sven Beckert holds a PhD in History from Columbia University and is now Laird Bell Professor of American History at Harvard University. Empire of Cotton: A Global History won the 2015 Bancroft Prize and ranked as a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for History.

The 20th century saw dramatic shifts in the cotton industry, driven by the rise of newly industrialized nations and the exploitation of low-wage labor in countries like China and India, where governments actively supported mill owners to suppress labor movements. While China’s mechanized production surged during World War I, Britain’s dominance waned due to rising wages and declining competitiveness. Historically, the demand for cotton had fueled global trade and exploitation, from the reliance on slave labor in the Americas to the deindustrialization of colonies like India under European powers. Mechanization revolutionized production, enabling industrialized nations to dominate global markets while devastating traditional industries. The cotton trade also fostered the rise of global capitalism, with merchants and brokers creating interconnected networks that laid the foundation for modern economies. However, this growth came at a human cost, from the brutal conditions of enslaved and factory laborers to the famines caused by colonial policies. By the 20th century, nations like Japan and Russia expanded cotton cultivation in their colonies, further reshaping the global landscape. Yet, the industry’s history of exploitation, inequality, and resilience continues to influence its trajectory, leaving its future uncertain.

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