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A review by unladylike
The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist
5.0
I believe this book was highly recommended somewhere in [b:How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America|55643287|How the Word Is Passed A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America|Clint Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603917194l/55643287._SY75_.jpg|86766325] by Clint Smith, which in turn I heard about from a great Scene on Radio podcast - Seeing White, I believe.
This is certainly one of those important books I'd need to read multiple times and take more notes or discuss it with someone with more scholarly background on economics. It's truly baffling how get-rich scams were basically the origin of the systems of credit and paper currency we have, and take for granted without much thought. Some of these stories and explanations reminded me of my attempts to learn about how cryptocurrency works. They're both made-up, involve assigning value to thin air and promises of being paid back, and seem just wacky to me compared to systems of barter. Bartering with humans as chattel slaves was essential for the economic growth of the United States. Slavery determined the ways we pay taxes, the systems we devised for political representation, and so much more that continues to fail us as people and prove that this country has never been half as "great" as its patriots and government like to claim.
This is certainly one of those important books I'd need to read multiple times and take more notes or discuss it with someone with more scholarly background on economics. It's truly baffling how get-rich scams were basically the origin of the systems of credit and paper currency we have, and take for granted without much thought. Some of these stories and explanations reminded me of my attempts to learn about how cryptocurrency works. They're both made-up, involve assigning value to thin air and promises of being paid back, and seem just wacky to me compared to systems of barter. Bartering with humans as chattel slaves was essential for the economic growth of the United States. Slavery determined the ways we pay taxes, the systems we devised for political representation, and so much more that continues to fail us as people and prove that this country has never been half as "great" as its patriots and government like to claim.