Modern narratives of capitalist development often assume that vast wealth accumulated by a few accompanies improved circumstances for many. The history of slavery’s capitalism warns against all these expectations. This is also true in a way, if I had it in place, I would have probably thought the same

"The parallels between present-day business management practices and slavery have been persistently neglected in mainstream discussions about the history of U.S. enterprise."

Interesting reconstruction, but very circumstantial too. I rather think that the management by tasks came especially from the mechanization spread during the Industrial Revolution, then evolved in something much more sophisticated (MBO), to which Gannt himself contributed.

I'm a PhD, so we're using history, anthropology, literature, folklore, Ecology etc. It's so fun. I don't know of anyone who extended that sort of commentary through the Civil War like Kastor, but I certainly wish I did. Highly recommend On the Laps of Gods by Robert Whitaker, in depth look at how the summer of 1919 made the 14th amendment actually effective for African Americans. Not exactly on topic, but a good read. Took a class on the AR/MS Delta last year. We reviewed a historical journal during the CW discussion. I don't think what you're looking for exists yet. Maybe you should write it.

The parallels between present-day business management practices and slavery have been persistently neglected in mainstream discussions about the history of U.S. enterprise. The business history of plantation slavery is a cautionary tale of what profit-seeking can look like when everything, including lives, is up for sale.