Response paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response paper - Assignment Example One aspect to consider in reference to the author’s use of the different publications is that he recognizes that most scholars overlook the effects of the civil war on the international level (Beckert 1407). Instead, he focuses on the structure of the cotton industry before, during and after the way to come up with his conclusions. Since the author considers the structure of the cotton industry in the three phases mentioned earlier, he provides a clear understanding of the effects that the war and the cotton industry had on global networks. The understanding does not only relate to the global web created due to trade between nations, but also the factors that contributed to global capitalism. In order to create a seamless flow of the events leading to the reconstruction of the global network of cotton production, Beckert refers to numerous historical accounts. These accounts are not only economic in nature, but also political, legal, and agricultural, among other explanations. Beckert identifies the different policy positions among the different nations as influential in encouraging the international reshaping the world cotton industry. He provides explanations regarding the manner in which the policies governed trade between cotton producing countries. These provisions are vital for determining the factors that influenced cotton production. For instance, the author identifies that the most critical foreign policy goal for the Union was the maintenance of the neutrality of the European governments. Conversely, the most critical foreign policy of the Confederacy was to gain recognition (Beckert 1417). Even though the policies were necessary for enhancing the production of cotton, they created were influential in creating a balance trade and production. In relation to the way the civil war was instrumental in creating  the global network of cotton production, the upheavals