Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global History

Capitalism: A Global History on Tour

By Erin Goodman

The Weatherhead Center has supported the research of Faculty Associate Sven Beckert and his global history projects for twelve years. This partnership has catalyzed several conferences, dozens of visiting postdoctoral fellows and scholars, and now, a seminal new volume weighing in at over 1,200 pages—the book Capitalism: A Global History (Penguin Random House). 

The book spans nearly one thousand years, arguing that capitalism is a human-made system that is inherently global, tracing its origins in Asian, African, and European merchant communities to the modern era. The institution of slavery, imperialism, and global networks all were fundamental to capitalism’s success, rather than defining it as a Western concept or being solely driven by free markets. Fellow Harvard historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. said of the new book: “Drawing on astonishing research across multiple continents, Beckert’s new book is a landmark achievement that reorients our understanding of capitalism as an evolving, evercontested human creation.” 

In March, Beckert addressed a group of London-based Harvard alums at the invitation of the Harvard Club of the United Kingdom. At the event dinner, Beckert gave an overview of his book and answered questions from over thirty alums. In April, we held a larger event in New York City, with 163 registrants, for a book talk and signing at the Harvard Club of New York. Attendees engaged with Beckert’s book and the author in a lively and thoughtful Q&A which was hosted by the Harvard Club’s Programs Committee.