Role of Cotton in Shaping United States

¶ … Role of Cotton in Shaping United States History: 1793-1865

Extensive cotton production in the United States began in the spring of 1793 with the invention of Eli Whitney's cotton gin (i.e. A machine which separates cotton fibre from cotton seeds) (Current 1998). Almost immediately after this invention cotton production rose dramatically. As the production and transportation methods of cotton improved and the demand for fibre increased, the push for greater profits grew as well. Thus, a large number of slaves were brought into South Carolina and Georgia to provide the needed labour for cotton picking. As a result, slave labour became a valuable market throughout the South.

To become part of the Southern aristocracy, which slavery created, one needed to own land and slaves (Current 1998). The way to do this was to grow cotton as it provided the cash and credit to make both of these purchases. Ironically, slavery was growing deeply entrenched in the Southern economy and society at the same time that abolition-1st sentiment was increasing in the United States. The Southern aristocracy dominated Southern society, preventing the development of other methods of soil use which could have been more efficient, such as food crops. Faced with soil exhaustion, Southern planters needed to extend their land control into the western territories in order for Southern slave culture to survive. "The cotton kingdom" grew west through Texas and north about six hundred miles up the Mississippi River valley. By 1850, the cultivation and transportation demands for cotton production grew substantially and rural Southern existence became synonymous with the cotton industry.

By 1860, the south was exporting two-thirds of the world's annual supply of cotton, or white-gold as it became known (Current 1998). Furthermore, each year the West and Midwest were selling $30 million worth of food supplies to Southern cotton producers. The Northwest also relied on cotton production because their domestic textile industry was producing $100 million worth of clothing annually. As well, each year cotton growers in the South were purchasing more than $150 million worth of manufactured goods from the North, and Northern ships were transporting cotton and cotton goods worldwide.

In 1861, when the Southern states separated from the United States to form the Confederate States of America, the revenue from cotton was used to create its government, supply arms for its military, and provide economic power for a diplomatic strategy (Current 1998). The King Cotton diplomacy attempted to force the most powerful nation in the world, Great Britain, into the war on behalf of the Confederacy. The belief was that European powers would help break the Union blockade around the coastal areas and ports which was becoming increasingly effective. Although the Confederate coastline was never completely sealed, it did cause imports and exports in the South to drop drastically. This meant reduced funds needed for the Confederacy war efforts. Britain's economy relied heavily on the South' cotton exports; thus, the South cut-off their cotton supply with the belief that they would have to intervene to save their economy. However, the Southern states had failed to account for the bumper crops that they had exported throughout the late 1850's and in 1960, which led to an overabundance of cotton in Europe at the time of the Civil War outbreak. In addition, the British would not intervene due to their hostility towards slavery. Thus, the "cotton famine" that the Southern states were attempting to create was delayed until late 1862. When it did come, the global economy was transformed. The price of cotton soared and the British began buying cotton from other countries such as India, Egypt, and Brazil, urging these countries to increase their cotton production.