The Empire of Cotton: A Global History

The provided text from the "History After Dark" YouTube channel describes the profound and often violent transformation of human civilization by capitalism over the last 500 years. It argues that before capitalism, societies were primarily agrarian, with communal land and production geared towards survival, not profit. The emergence of "war capitalism" involved European expansion, the transatlantic slave trade, and the enclosure of common lands, fundamentally altering social structures and creating a wage-dependent proletariat. The source also highlights how women's autonomy and traditional knowledge were systematically suppressed through phenomena like the witch hunts to enforce new patriarchal structures. Ultimately, the text illustrates capitalism's global expansion, its reliance on coercion and exploitation, and the continuous struggles of resistance against its pervasive influence, from early peasant revolts to modern labor movements.

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