Ben Waber reviewed Consumers' Imperium by Kristin L. Hoganson
A Fascinating Look at How America Embraced Cosmopolitanism
4 stars
Many Americans (myself included) take for granted our embrace of products and cuisines from many parts of the world, but prior to the Civil War this was not the case. Hoganson shows in this fascinating history how a combination of technological/commercial changes (steamship travel, telegraphy, department stores, mass manufacturing, etc.) and new cultural norms and organizations drove an increasingly rabid uptake of foreign (or at least purportedly foreign) goods. The Travel Clubs described here were particularly incredible. Highly recommend