It is is not widely perceived that the British textile industry depended on
cotton grown by US slaves long after the abolition of slavery in the British
colonies; consequently cotton textile manufacturers in Britain had no great
desire to see American slavery ended.

John Weiss

----- Original Message -----
From: "Anita Wills" <[log in to unmask]>
: Yep,
: With the labor of slaves, and the land of Indians.  I wonder how many
people
: know that Africans  raised cotton, prior to slavery? Native Americans also
: raised cotton and were expert weavers. They did not do it for profit, but
: for their own use.
:
: Anita Wills
:
: >From: John Weiss <[log in to unmask]>
: >
: >To suggest that Britatin had to import cloth on account of having no
cotton
: >plantations is to put the cart before the horse. The British colonies and
: >the US South produced the cotton itself, and exported the raw material to
: >Britain for manufacture into cotton cloth -- as far as the colonies were
: >concerned, the essence of the colonial system was that raw materials had
to
: >be exported to, and the manufactured goods imported from, the imperial
: >master; and for long after the independence of the American states,
Britain
: >remained the prime manufacturer of cotton goods.
: >
: >John Weiss

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