The Half Has Never Been Told

*The Half Has Never Been Told* radically reinterprets American history, arguing that the violent expansion of slavery after independence fundamentally drove the nation's economic modernization and capitalist development. Historian Edward E. Baptist reveals how the brutal exploitation of enslaved people transformed the South into a vast cotton empire, fueling the United States' rise to industrial power. Drawing on survivor testimonies, plantation records, and public discourse, this "gripping" (New York Times) and "stinging indictment of slavery" (NPR Books) is a recipient of the Avery O. Craven Prize and the Sidney Hillman Prize.

Archival Categorization Notes

This literature has been indexed under the primary pillar of American Civil War. It was manually vetted for the Read For Truth database because it provides educational insights into Causes & Aftermath, assisting researchers in locating established secondary research within this specific taxonomy.