Daniel Defoe's Commentary on the Popularity of Eastern Goods (1727)
In 1727, writer Daniel Defoe vividly described the market dominance of Eastern goods in Britain. He observed that Indian-made calico had become so widespread that it clothed 'all our women, rich and poor.' Defoe attributed this phenomenon directly to the 'mere stress of their cheapness,' noting that manufactures from India, China, and other Eastern nations had an extensive variety and scale that allowed them to push their products onto the global market through price competitiveness alone.
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