Understanding Capitalism Through Cotton
Looking at the development of cotton as a global commodity, explains historian Sven Beckert, helps us understand how capitalism emerged.
Labor Day: A Celebration of Working in America
Our best stories about workers' rights, labor unions, and international movements to improve working conditions, from the factory to the farm.
The Griffin Sisters Helped Build Black Vaudeville
The sisters were not only a singing duo, they were successful businesswomen and advocates for Black-owned enterprises in the entertainment world.
Meat and the Free Market
Significant political changes in three major global cities fueled experimentation with laissez-faire economics, which had peculiar effects on the meat market.
On the Rocks
Ice harvesters once made a living from frozen lakes and ponds, and the international ice industry was a booming business. Then refrigeration came along.
Wheely Good Reviews: How Michelin Forms Foodie Ideology
The French Michelin guide is an authoritative voice in the world of fine dining, but when it arrived on the American food scene, it was met with a chilly reception.
An Uncertain Energy Transition a Century Ago
When it came to the transport of goods within local areas, it took decades for the competition among horses, electric vehicles, and gas trucks to shake out.
The First American Hotels
In the eighteenth century, if people in British North America had to travel, they stayed at public houses that were often just repurposed private homes.
How Government Helped Create the “Traditional” Family
Since the mid-nineteenth century, many labor regulations in the US have been crafted with the express purpose of strengthening the male-breadwinner family.
Uneven Impacts: The Virtual Water Trade
The virtual water trade reveals significant disparities between water-rich states and their trade partners.