Author: 20perez16

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The main argument throughout the essays in Slavery’s Capitalism (Beckert and Rockman) was that slavery played a central role in the United States’ economy during the nineteenth century. The traditional economic view of slavery has usually been restricted to the South. Slavery’s Capitalism countered that interpretation demonstrating how the whole American economy relied on slavery for its success. This book, while focused on the economic history of slavery, also explained how slavery influenced the North and the South, the society, the culture, and the politics of early America.

The book as a whole included discussions on the main U.S. regions as well as the international scene. However, it would be helpful to see more juxtaposition of those regions within each chapter. For example, Daniel B. Rood discussed the trade connection between the U.S. and Brazil. I think he could have added more on Brazil’s side of the trade relationship or even about Brazil’s specific economic status. This would have allowed the reader to see the dynamic systems of both countries. Another instance might be in Craig Steven Wilder’s chapter on American Catholicism and slavery. This section demonstrated only one religious perception of slavery and it might have been better if it was viewed in the context of other Protestant higher education institutions also associated with slavery.

The chapters highlighted different case studies regarding slavery’s impact on American capitalism. Case studies are useful for proving specific arguments and analyzing a collection of similar data. Yet, it is also important to realize that case studies cannot necessarily be used for creating generalizations about the country’s overall economic development. That being said, I liked how Bonnie Martin compiled records from three counties each from a different Southern State instead of just one particular case. I also appreciated Daina Ramey Berry’s word choice when she wrote “some cases” or “sometimes,” which meant that her evidence pointed to certain instances rather than a general pattern (151, 158).

Another critique I have of Slavery’s Capitalism is that it quickly deals with the development of slavery in the Civil War and the Emancipation periods. It would be interesting to see what evidence there is, if any, to explain the changes that took place then.

I agree with Sbremer’s statement that “we are forced to rethink slavery and investigate not just its political ramifications, but the ramifications it had on the development of an incredibly important global economic system.” The book gave us the opportunity to reexamine slavery’s role in establishing America’s global status, adding another dimension to Gould’s analysis last week. I would also add though that Slavery’s Capitalism emphasizes American slavery’s Atlantic developments, but mostly ignores what happened in the Pacific and California during that time. Leonard L. Richards’ The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War is one book that explained Southern political leaders attempts to bring slavery to California.

I noticed that there is no conclusion in Slavery’s Capitalism. Perhaps this is because these stories were meant to be open-ended. The chapters contained recent research, so the lack of a conclusion suggests that it is only the beginning of a new discussion that still needs further analysis. What the book did well was challenge the reader’s traditional perceptions of slavery and encourage the reader to then continue the investigation.

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Eliga H. Gould’s Among the Powers of the Earth proposed a new broader understanding of the American Revolution. The book placed a young United States into a global context, where it needed the approval of other European nations to be considered a true country. Instead of viewing the Revolution as an isolated colonial rebellion, Gould argued that this event pushed Americans to seek international power. The country needed “to be accepted as a free and independent nation in Europe” and also sought “the right of its citizens to pacify and control what, from a European standpoint, was still a colonial periphery” (2). America had to gradually become a unified country capable of making European treaties and maintaining peaceful diplomatic relations before other countries considered it a nation.
One interesting theme I found in the book was the idea of international law or the “law of nations.” This was a set of diplomatic rules followed by the colonial empires both in times of war and peace (5). The “law of nations” was significant because it spanned across different countries and colonies, regardless of a nation’s distinct laws. For instance, Britain attempted to modify these rules when it tried to eliminate the slave trade in America and the rest of the colonial world during the early nineteenth century (173-174). The “law of nations” allowed countries to adhere to certain rules peacefully, but it also had the potential to create conflict when it interfered with the sovereignty of individual nations.
Gould not only presented the significance of the American Revolution on a global scale, he also dealt with the international history of slavery. By way of contrast, Slavery and Public History (edited by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton) focused on the American aspects of slavery and recent controversies when historians presented such difficult history in public historical settings. While the Hortons’ book provided a national understanding of slavery, Gould examined slavery’s historical role from an international perspective. In addition, the book did not focus on the Indian tribes as much as in Hamalainen’s Comanche Empire. However, Gould acknowledged that the Indians had some say in their political relations with the Spanish and British.
Gould utilized several sources including pamphlets, letters, government documents, newspaper statements, and other political writings/books from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. His many examples of correspondence and political statements were helpful for understanding the opposing views between the Americans and the Europeans. Gould’s consistent usage of primary sources throughout the book emphasized the complex nature of the United States’ growing status as a treaty-worthy nation.
Although Americans wanted to establish a separate Republic, they also had to adapt their foreign policy to match the changing political climate of the early nineteenth century. In general, Gould’s book retold early American history as a narrative based on the country’s search for peaceful international relations.

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Pekka Hamalainen’s Comanche Empire gave an alternative perspective of the colonial Southwest. The Comanche can be viewed as an empire even though their nomadic lifestyle may not have matched other imperial attempts occurring in the eighteenth century (2-4). This book made it clear that the Comanche people were capable of diplomatic relations and economic expansion that made them a good candidate to be a colonial power among other European nations. The Comanche people knew how to take advantage by expanding and benefiting from the other powers living around them. Hamalainen’s argument is valid because the Comanche people outlasted the colonial attempts of Spain and France in North America.
After reading the Comanche Empire, I gained a better understanding of the complex character of the Comanche people. Instead of describing the Southwest strictly through the lens of the European colonial powers, Hamalainen attempted to create a more dynamic picture of the Comanche way of life. These people may have been great horsemen and raiders, yet Hamalainen went even further to understand their cultural, political, and economic reasons for their actions. For example, the Comanche moved further into Spain’s Texas territory so they could have a good supply of grass for their horses (57). This and other examples helped me identify the human agency of the Comanche that is often disregarded in past history. The Comanche empire worked so well because it adapted to its changing environment and established a dominant presence in the early Southwest.
I also found that Hamalainen not only described a complex Comanche group, but he also clearly explained the Spanish perspective of the Southwest. Both the Comanche and the Spanish tend to be understood through stereotypes. What I read in these excerpts is that these two interacted with each other trying to find ways to live peaceably together. For the Comanche, trade and gifts were important aspects of their economic and cultural practices. The Spanish Governor Cachupin recognized the need to compromise by giving the Comanche gifts and returning captives in return for peaceful trading in Taos (53-55). While the Spanish did not colonize the Southwest to their best advantage, Cachupin demonstrated one instance where cooperation with the Comanche could lead to peaceful relations.
I agree with Alyssa and her discussion of cameo appearances in history. Native Americans have been set aside in written history and they only have an occasional presence in the story of American History. Hamalainen also explained that historians “have to turn the telescope around and create models that allows us to look at Native policies toward colonial powers as more than defensive strategies of resistance and containment” (7). Past historiography has placed the Native Americans on the outskirts of Southwest history. Hamalainen challenged that interpretation by presenting the Comanche as an empire that was a strong power in the west even before the United States reached them.
Hamalainen’s Comanche Empire provided a different approach than is normal for previous Southwest or American histories. It allowed me to see that the United States was not the only dominant power in North America. There were other colonial efforts in existence by Europeans and non-Europeans even before the United States became a country.

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1. There are usually many stereotypes attributed to the Comanche and Native Americans in general. What was your original perception of Southwest history and the Comanche before you read this book?

2. How did this reading either enhance or change your understanding of the Comanche people?

3. What did you think of Hamalainen’s approach to the history of the southwest? Is it useful to start from the Native American perspective and look outward to the European colonists? Why or why not?

4. Would you describe the Comanche people as an empire after reading Hamlainen? Why or why not? What were some imperial qualities of the Comanche?