America's Real Founding Fathers: Tobacco & Cotton

Though not known to Europeans till roughly the 16^th century, tobacco and cotton had served as prominent crops in their respective native lands for centuries.   By the 1600s, England dominated the flourishing cotton and tobacco industries.  With the rise of the Triangular Trade bringing slaves to the New World, tobacco and cotton production in British America assumed leading roles in world trade and agriculture (see How Slavery Helped Build a World Economy- a good overview!).  Through sense of independence established in the American colonies with the production of these thriving crops, and through the enormous amount of revenue they generated, cotton and tobacco not only drove America towards its fight for sovereignty, but also helped the new born country get its feet off the ground after achieving independence.

Tobacco. http://mpoverello.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/tobacco-farm.jpg, accessed 3/9/2014.

Originally used by Native Americans before European colonization, tobacco (shown above) was British America’s first saving grace, allowing for the first successful British settlement in North America, Jamestown.  Founded by the Virginia Company, Jamestown was a failing settlement, headed down the same disastrous path as Roanoke- a previous settlement that had practically disappeared without a trace.  Upon arrival, John Rolfe introduced tobacco production to Jamestown, and it was an instant success.  For the next century and beyond, tobacco served as America’s largest export.  With limitless “free” land for cultivation, cheap and abundant slave labor (see link above), and optimal climate and soil, the American colonies were the ideal place for tobacco production.

Jamestown and Tobacco: America the Story of Us

With such a great distance between the American colonies and their Mother country, the colonists lived fairly autonomous lives, largely due to the sense of pride and independence they found in their successful production of tobacco.  However, after the French and Indian War, the colonists were left feeling shafted and taken for granted.  They had fought diligently in the war, and Great Britain had apparently done nothing but imposed a series of taxes and restrictions on the colonies.  Further, though the colonists were doing majority of the work for tobacco production, Britain ultimately controlled the tobacco monopoly.  Thus, with their sense of independence partially fostered by tobacco production, and the subsequent series of acts that further provoked colonists, the Americans embarked on their quest for independence.

Cotton. http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/cotton-gin-and-eli-whitney, accessed 3/9/2014.

Cotton, too, played an integral role in the rise of the United States of America (above).  The first European company to engage in cotton production was the English East India Company, and by 1625, its cotton production in India was thriving.  With the rise of the Industrial Revolution, particularly within the textile industry, Britain sought to import cotton but process it in England.  Consequently, it began to shift cotton production to the American South, and by the mid 19^th century, 80% of Britain’s cotton was from the American south.  Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin (below) particularly launched cotton production into an efficient and profitable industry. 

A diagram of the cotton gin. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-does-the-cotton-gin-work.html, accessed 3/9/2014.

Like tobacco, cultivation of cotton in the American colonies fostered a strong sense of colonial sovereignty and encouraged the American push for independence.  As the textile industry in Britain continued to thrive throughout the 19^th century, cotton served as one of America’s most profitable exports.  Without the booming business provided by cotton exportation, America arguably might have fallen to pieces shortly after gaining independence from Britain.

In this way, perhaps it’s best to recognize not simply people as America’s Founding Fathers, but cotton and tobacco as well.  Without these essential plants, America might not exist in our world today.