Lecture 20: The Market Revolution & Multiculturalism
1) Capitalists ideologically dont like "groups" over individuals, traditionalists always do
a) Became a true issue after 1865 as market revolution spreads globally.
we had a 1st age of Globalization! We lost it, and are in the 2nd! coal-fired ships: 1 week across Atlantic instead of a month
underwater telegraph cables
free trade and access guaranteed by British Navy
b) The truly fraught question of "nationalism" has tied capitalism in more knots than any other
maybe its greatest enemy? (if course continued, would see nationalism kill it!)
c) But in the New World is wasnt going to be "national" questions because of the history we already discussed! It was going to be those same ethnic questions of Indians, Africans, and Europeans
And, EVERYWHERE, capitalism will cut a deal in which it allows group oppression
In exchange, gets guarantee of total free trade
Idea holds in US until 1965!
2) "Reconstruction" after the Civil War: what to do w/former slaves?
a) first instincts: pure market revolution, individuals, citizens, consumers
b) but who has the guns and who needs cotton?
c) total sell-out in barely more than a decade
to the point of letting 15th amendment be DEAD LETTER!
d) why its key to date Industrialism to end of Reconstruction
and where did Blacks from the South get pushed? who helped?
3) How to use difference as a BOON to capitalism? Now, that's clever!
a) Need massive inputs of labor in US for the new industrialization
Biggest migration in human history happens across Atlantic
(these days of globalization, capital moves to the labor)
b) but all Non-northern Europeans!
Poles, Italians, East European Jews, Asians
c)ethnic difference hobbled all opposition
unions werent even really able to form
republicanism shattered as force against capitalism
the proof of 1896: no more saying no
workers wont go with traditionalists
4) Latin America tries similar route
a) capitalism from the top, but not as able to enforce the deal
b) Plantation agriculture selling into world economy (coffee, bananas now added)
just no tariffs and you can deal as you see fit
a way for the old "silver and sugar" to join modernity
but Indians, Mestizos, and Blacks more able to resist
except where immigration!
example of Brazil after end of slavery in 1888
3 million immigrants in a generation
more unable to organize than even slaves?!
c) Latin America's relationship with capitalism as different because of multiculturalism as was the experience of republicanism
5) UPSHOT: Market Rev. wins in all of New World
a) at cost of ideals of individual freedom
just like class started: ethnic fighting
b) returns New World to center of World Economy
just like class started: "silver and sugar"
c) one thing has changed: b/c republicanism solidified early and market revolution defeated all challengers, US moved a step ahead of the rest of the New World
the question is how would world be with this brand new power?