How Slavery Built America Into An Economic Power

The horrific legacy of slavery in America has long been documented. But in his 2014 book "The Half Has Never Been Told," historian Edward Baptist writes that the forced migration of slaves and the products of their labor were integral to establishing America as a world economic power.

The book comes out in paperback today. We revisit a conversation with Baptist and Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson from November 2014.

Edward Baptist, associate professor of history at Cornell University and author of "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism." He tweets @Ed_Baptist.