The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism facts for kids

The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism is an important book written by Edward E. Baptist. It was published in 2014 by Basic Books.

In this book, Baptist argues that slavery was a very important part of how American capitalism grew. Capitalism is an economic system where businesses are owned by private people, not the government. He explains that slave owners and traders acted like business people. They used enslaved people not just to produce cotton, which was a huge product worldwide, but also as a way to get money and loans for the country's growth.

The book looks at how chattel slavery (where enslaved people were treated as property) expanded. It shares stories of individual enslaved people, like Charles Ball, and also combines many different stories to show what life was like. It also uses facts, numbers, and maps to show how things changed over time.

Baptist also explores how banks and letters of credit helped people buy land in the Old Southwest. This led to slavery spreading westward. The book also discusses the roles of New Orleans and the Haitian Revolution in these changes. Important historical figures mentioned include Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Nicholas Biddle, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, and Abraham Lincoln.

Awards and Recognition

Edward E. Baptist's book received two major awards for its important work.

Hillman Prize

In 2015, Baptist won the Hillman Prize for his book. This award recognizes great work in journalism and books that promote social justice. The judges described his book this way:

The Half Has Never Been Told shares a new way to understand American history. It uses personal stories from enslaved people, plantation records, newspapers, and the words of leaders and people who escaped slavery. The book shows the harsh violence that helped America become powerful. But it also highlights the survival and strength that led to slavery's end, and how this created a culture that still inspires America's dreams of freedom.

Avery O. Craven Award

He also received the 2015 Avery O. Craven Award from the Organization of American Historians. This award is given for the best book about the Civil War era. In July 2020, this award was renamed the Civil War and Reconstruction Book Award.