20K reactions · 10K shares | The birth of capitalism and the rise of the United States were closely aligned, both driven by land, labor, and profit. The 1763 Royal Proclamation barred colonists from settling west of the Appalachians, but George Washington saw this as an opportunity—he defied it to expand westward for land to grow tobacco, a key cash crop. Meanwhile, Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations in 1776, laying the foundation of modern capitalism. That same year, James Madison helped draft key American founding texts, promoting liberty and property rights. Earlier, John Locke—whose ideas inspired the revolution—had drafted the Carolina Constitution, which entrenched slavery by making it nearly impossible to abolish. Tensions with Britain peaked over the Tea Act of 1773, seen as taxation without representation. The Boston Tea Party followed, and Britain’s harsh response sparked the Revolutionary War. Capitalism, slavery, and rebellion were all intertwined in America’s birth.#knowledge #history #politics #capitalism #usa #europe | Aden
The birth of capitalism and the rise of the United States were closely aligned, both driven by land, labor, and profit. The 1763 Royal Proclamation barred colonists from settling west of the...
Emeritus Prof Christopher May