Scene on Radio · Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University

S7 E3: Ships, Swords, and Fences

July 3, 2024·52 min·4 clips

The Black Death created a labor shortage that allowed peasants to overthrow feudalism and improve their living standards.

This episode explores the origins of capitalism, focusing on the transition from feudalism in Europe and the role of colonialism and slavery. It discusses how events like the Black Death weakened feudalism, the Atlantic slave trade fueled capital accumulation, and the enclosure movement privatized land, displacing peasants and creating a workforce for industrialization.

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