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549. The First Great American Industry

549. The First Great American Industry

Freakonomics Radio
43 min
13 Jul 23
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About the episode

Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did whale hunting die out here — and continue to grow elsewhere? And is that whale vomit in your perfume? (Part 1 of “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”)