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549. The First Great American Industry

Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio
Episode • Jul 13, 2023 • 43m

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.”)

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