Cotton, the marvelous plant that changed our World. A quick overview!

Brief history of cotton

Understanding the history of cotton is important to know how the modern era came about, for few plants have changed human civilization so quickly and so radically.

Cotton it's responsible for kickstarting the Industrial Revolution. Moreover, cotton has been used for many thousands of years, but only 300 years ago, it changed the world forever.

The history of the domestication of cotton is very complex and is not known exactly. Several isolated civilizations in both the Old and New World independently domesticated and converted cotton into fabric. All the same tools were invented to work it also, including combs, bows, hand spindles, and primitive looms.

Ancient Civilizations

Cotton has been cultivated and used by humans for thousands of years, with evidence of cotton fabrics dating back to ancient civilizations in Egypt, India, and Peru. The cotton industry played a significant role in the development of the American economy, with the production of cotton being a major source of income for slave owners in the southern United States before the Civil War. Today, cotton remains an important crop worldwide, with China and India being the largest producers.

No one knows exactly how old cotton is. Scientists searching caves in Mexico found bits of cotton bolls and pieces of cotton cloth that proved to be at least 7,000 years old. They also found that the cotton itself was much like that grown in America today.

• In the Indus River Valley in Pakistan, cotton was being grown, spun and woven into cloth 3,000 years BC. At about the same time, natives of Egypt’s Nile Valley were making and wearing cotton clothing. Arab merchants brought cotton cloth to Europe about 800 A.D.
• Cotton was cultivated and used to make fabric by ancient civilizations in South America, Egypt, and the Indus Valley of India as early as 5000 BCE.
• The Kingdom of Kush in ancient Sudan became wealthy exporting high-quality cotton textiles produced using advanced spinning and weaving techniques by the 4th century BCE.
• Cotton was introduced to ancient Greece in the 4th century BCE during Alexander the Great's conquests of India, providing a more comfortable alternative to wool.

Middle Ages and Renaissance

• Cotton production and trade expanded in the Islamic world and India during the Middle Ages, with innovations like the hand-cranked roller cotton gin appearing in the 6th century CE
• Arab merchants brought cotton to Europe around 800 CE, but it remained a rare luxury until the 17th century
• The East India Company's trade in Indian cotton fabrics like calico had a major cultural impact in Europe in the 18th century

Industrial Revolution

• The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 by Eli Whitney enabled a massive increase in cotton production in the United States
• The demand for American cotton from British textile mills fueled the growth of slavery in the American South
• Cotton production and exports became the economic foundation of the antebellum Southern economy

When Columbus discovered America in 1492, he found cotton growing in the Bahama Islands. By 1500, cotton was known generally throughout the world. Cotton seeds are believed to have been planted in Florida in 1556 and Virginia in 1607. By 1616, colonists were growing cotton along the James River in Virginia. Cotton was first spun by machinery in England in 1730. The industrial revolution in England and the invention of the cotton gin in the U.S. paved the way for the important place cotton holds in the world today.

World Cotton Day

Starting in 2019, every year on the 7th of October, World Cotton Day is celebrated to promote awareness about the role cotton plays in international trade, economic development, and poverty alleviation.?A global commodity, cotton is grown and traded in more than 75 countries.

The purpose of World Cotton Day is to recognize the value of cotton as a natural fiber and the benefits it brings people through its production, transformation, and commerce around the world.

We gain many benefits from kinds of cotton, such as employment, the use of natural fibers, versatility, and the prevention of plastic pollution. Cotton is breathable, comfortable, durable, and hypoallergenic, which is why it’s one of the most featured fabrics in our wardrobes. Cotton isn’t just a commodity but an impactful product, affecting 28.67 million growers and millions of families worldwide.

World Cotton Day highlights cotton’s role in providing jobs and maintaining economic stability in the least developed countries (L.D.C.s). On this day, the global community is invited to celebrate the world’s most important natural fiber.

Advantages of cotton versus man-made fabrics

Breathability and Comfort

• Cotton is highly breathable and absorbent, allowing air and moisture to pass through the fabric. This makes cotton garments feel more comfortable against the skin, especially in hot weather.
• Synthetic fabrics like polyester and acrylic are less breathable and can feel sticky or cling to sweaty skin.

Natural and Hypoallergenic

• Cotton is a natural plant-based fiber free of chemicals, making it hypoallergenic and less likely to cause skin irritation compared to synthetics.
• The natural properties of cotton are gentler on sensitive skin.

Biodegradability

• Cotton is biodegradable and breaks down naturally, while synthetic fibers like polyester take hundreds of years to decompose.
• This makes cotton a more environmentally friendly and sustainable option compared to petroleum-based synthetics.

Versatility

• Cotton can be woven or knitted into a wide variety of fabrics like denim, flannel, corduroy, and jersey.
• Cotton fabrics are very versatile and used in everything from clothing to home goods.

Colorfastness

• Cotton takes dye well and retains color better than polyester.
• Cotton fabrics are less prone to fading compared to synthetics.

However, cotton does have some disadvantages compared to synthetics:

• Cotton is less durable and wears down faster than polyester
• Cotton fabrics are more prone to wrinkling and shrinking
• Cotton is generally more expensive to produce than synthetic fibers

Hard General Facts about Cotton and the Cotton Industry

• There are several species of plants in the genus Gossypium that produce this seed-hair fibre. These plants are related to the hibiscus family or mallow family.
• Cotton fabrics are durable and abrasion-resistant.
• A cotton garment is washable, can be ironed at relatively high temperatures, and accepts a variety of dyes.
• Clothing made of cotton absorbs moisture quickly and releases it quickly as well.
• In addition to being renewable and biodegradable, cotton is also a natural fiber. Among textile raw materials, it is the most sustainable.
• Approximately 26% of the world’s cotton production is produced by India.?
• Regarding cotton production, China, India, USA, Brazil, and Pakistan account for more than three-quarters of the global total.
• Approximately 32 million farmers produce cotton worldwide, with nearly half being women.
• Cotton makes 80 percent of apparel, 15 percent of home furnishings, and 5 percent for nonwovens, such as filters and padding.
• The researchers at Cotton Incorporated have been exploring cotton for 3D printing and injection molding.

In summary, cotton has been a vital commodity that has shaped the economies, cultures, and social structures of civilizations across the world for thousands of years, from the ancient world to the Industrial Revolution. Its influence has been particularly profound in the history of the United States, India, and the British Empire.