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Chase-Dunn, Christopher and Thomas D. Hall. 1997.
Rise and Demise: Comparing World Systems. Boulder,
CO: Westview.
Shannon, Thomas. 1989. An Introduction to the
World-system Perspective. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Wallerstein, Immanuel. 1974. The Modern World-system
I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the
European World-economy in the Sixteenth Century.
New York: Academic Press.
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Mercantilism and the Consolidation of the European
World Economy, 1600–1750. New York: Academic
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Great Expansion of the Capitalist World-economy.
New York: Academic Press.
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Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Wo r l d tr a d e Ce n t e r (9/11)
The twin towers at the World Trade Center (WTC)
in New York City were a landmark on the city
skyline for more than three decades. Their destruction
on September 11, 2001, by terrorists was a
defining moment for the future of lower Manhattan,
the city’s second-largest office district, where they
were located. In response to the tragedy, the state
government undertook a massive urban redevelopment
project on the site.
The World Trade Center was initiated in the
early 1960s by David Rockefeller, the grandson of
John D. Rockefeller, Sr., founder of Standard Oil. In
1955, Rockefeller had acquired significant properties
in lower Manhattan for his employer, the
Chase Manhattan Bank. These properties became
the bank’s new world headquarters. To solidify the
surrounding commercial real estate market, he
needed additional investment nearby. Pulling
together the area’s business elite from finance and
industry, Rockefeller established the Downtown-
Lower Manhattan Association and charged them
with creating a larger vision for change, something
he called the World Trade Center.
The concept of a world center of trade was not
new, having been the dream of William Aldrich
(David Rockefeller’s father-in-law) since the late
1930s. Aldrich envisioned the center as promoting
world peace through trade, but early attempts at
World Trade Center (9/11)
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implementation had failed. The critics charged
that the Aldrich plan had severely overestimated
demand for such a use, claiming that the majority
of the country’s largest exporting businesses would
need to rent space in order to secure the financial
health of the project. Rockefeller’s vision was more
concrete, offering what he felt was a sense of
renewal for an area he saw as lagging behind in the
broader regional economy. More important,
Rockefeller convinced the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey, a bi-state agency, to undertake
its development.
The Port Authority presence added considerable
dimension to the World Trade Center project.
Specifically, it provided financial security. In addition,
the Port Authority had condemnation powers
enabling it to clear land for construction. Yet, its
actions also proved highly controversial. The port
transferred the location from the east side of lower
Manhattan (what is now known as the South
Street Seaport) to a small but important local business
community on the west side. The west side
location was selected to court favor with the state
of New Jersey. The site provided the connections
for the ailing Hudson & Manhattan (H & M)
railway, which was a burden on the New Jersey
state government. Austin Tobin, the authority’s
executive director, saw the location as his opportunity
to offer New Jersey a way out of its financial
difficulties. The Port Authority would buy the
H & M in exchange for its support for the world
trade center project. Subsequently, the Port
Authority refurbished the line, and it is now the
PATH commuter rail service.
As for the site, it was a thriving commercial
neighborhood. The local business owners mounted
a campaign to fight the project, taking their case
all the way to the Supreme Court of the State of
New York. They eventually lost. Beyond the land
use disputes, controversy arose over the architect
Minoru Yamasaki’s now-famous design to build a
set of towers destined to be the world’s tallest at
110 stories (1,368 feet). Despite the public outcry
over destruction of the neighborhood and perceived
architectural arrogance in the name of
world commerce, the twin towers were built and
became an icon on the New York City skyline.
The World Trade Center had been struck by
terrorists once before—in 1993. Then, a car bomb
was detonated in the basement parking garage