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Cotton Chapter 1 Summary

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In the fourth chapter Beckert explain the three main looks upon the cotton industry, the first point is the need of slavery in order for production to grow. “The connection between American slavery and British Cotton Manufacturer, there is not, and never has been, and considerable source of supply for cotton, excepting the East-Indies, which is not obviously and exclusively maintained by slave-labor” (Beckert, 84). At first they tried to produce on the account of free labor but it failed and started the inventions of slavery, when slaves started they produced 68% of the cotton in the US. Many British merchants did not have the money for plantations so instead they grew a crop with less slave and incredible profits. Many islands did not have…show more content…
“The increase in consumption of raw cotton has been rapid and steady for beyond all precedents in any other manufacturer” (Beckert, 86). The process of cotton has increased since the production had started and many places which could produce cotton, can no longer keep up with the demand that is being asked. The third main point is the expansion of cotton in other parts of the world, cotton was being grown everywhere. Brazil cotton first got to England in 1781 and surpassed Caribbean. “By the 1780s, slaves in the West Indies and South America . . . on world markets” (Beckert,94).
Chapter 5
“The entry of the United States into the empire of cotton was so forceful that cotton cultivation in the American South quickly in the American South quickly began to reshape the global cotton market” (Beckert, 104). This quote explains how American was not seen to be the main producer of cotton but slowly became an important factor of its market once America began to produce more cotton. America was known to produce other goods such as tobacco and sugar, many people didn’t believe that part of the world could produce cotton but, when they began to grow this plant many was surprised in other…show more content…
The concern about the dependence on US cotton was focused upon three issues. The first issue was they feared that the US would siphon all of their own cotton in its own factories, the second issue was the British was worried about other continents being in competition with American cotton and the third issue was the most important issue was the increasing of slavery (Beckert, 121). The safety of slaves was a threat to the system, the war between slaves and their owners increased because the relationship between the two could turn at any time. During the time of chaos between the slaves and they owners they looked at India for their resources and began to evaluate how they were working in India. For India and Britain turned to state and demanded new laws about land tenure, more farms and agriculture knowledge, more state investments, and taxes on cultivation (Beckert, 127). In India they were lacking in exporting, this made Britain realize that the need for cotton was not the same between everyone but that cotton production was important to everyone on different levels. For this lack thereof caused India to search in different ways of cultivation without using exotic seeds or
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