Manchester, where I was born, soon became the cotton capital of the world, and until World War One, 65% of the world’s cotton was processed in Manchester, aka Cottonopolis. America supplied most of that raw cotton. Britain’s relationship with its former colony was crucial. Millions of acres and hundreds of thousands of slaves grew cotton. In 1790 the southern state plantations had been exporting around 3,000 bales. By 1860 they were exporting 4.5 million bales.
There's a lot of history hidden behind that statement. And not just the stories if those who planted and harvested the cotton.
