"Practical telegraph was developed during the late 1830s and the early 1840s; the first (short-lived) transatlantic link cable was laid in 1858; and by the century’s end undersea cables had connected all continents. **For the first time in history, trading could take into consideration the knowledge of demand and prices in different parts of the world**—and the availability of a new powerful prime mover could translate this information into profitable international exchanges: when the price of [[Iowa]] beef was cheaper than [[British]] beef of inferior quality and new refrigerating techniques became available, for example, the exports of frozen [[American]] meat rose rapidly—more than quadrupling between the late 1870s and the late 1900s." ([Location 2224](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08SGC3TD3&location=2224)) --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[telephones]], [[globalisation]], [[maritime]], **Source** -- [[202412030828 - B - How the World Really Works]]