We will host a conference, jointly organized by the Centre d’histoire at Sciences Po and the University of Chicago Center in Paris, on the historical foundations of economic integration since the mid-nineteenth century. We aim to convene a group of scholars from various institutions to discuss key debates in the study of global economic integration. Emphasizing historical methods of inquiry, our objective is to go beyond conceptual straightjackets – “free trade” against “mercantilism” or “financial liberalization” against “regulation” – by exploring empirically how the actually existing global economy became further interconnected or disconnected over time. Besides the general possibilities enabled by technological improvements in transportation technology, for instance, we aim to address the impact of commodities like coal or fertilizer in shaping the structure of expanding economic interdependence. Given recent apprehensions regarding the weaponization of economic interdependence, alongside major financial crises and a worldwide pandemic, the global economy has once again become an important object of study for scholars. Accordingly, we plan to gather experts from various countries and institutions to discuss forces propelling, circumscribing, or reversing interconnections across the world economy.