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There is archaeological evidence from [[Peru]], [[India]] and [[Mexico]] that cotton has been used for thousands of years. People in [[Asia]] and [[South America]] realized that the soft white fiber of the wild cotton plant could be useful and started to grow cotton as a crop around 3000 B.C. Its tropical origins suggest that, like humans, cotton requires warmth and sunshine to get everything it needs on this good earth, as well as regular moisture. The cotton plant is grown from seed to be harvested in the same year. This ensures that the plants do not grow too large, are a uniform size and produce their valuable fiber at the same time.

There is archaeological evidence from [[Peru]], [[India]] and [[Mexico]] that cotton has been used for thousands of years. People in [[Asia]] and [[South America]] realized that the soft white fiber of the wild cotton plant could be useful and started to grow cotton as a crop around 3000 B.C. Its tropical origins suggest that, like humans, cotton requires warmth and sunshine to get everything it needs on this good earth, as well as regular moisture. The cotton plant is grown from seed to be harvested in the same year. This ensures that the plants do not grow too large, are a uniform size and produce their valuable fiber at the same time.

In the [[United States]], cotton has been a major crop of the southern states and played a key role in the [[American Revolution]]. Cotton was traditionally picked by slaves, until technology such as the [[cotton gin]] came about. Cotton today comprises 13% of all agricultural activity in the U.S.

In the [[United States]], cotton has been a major crop of the southern states and played a key role in the [[American Revolution]]. Cotton was traditionally picked by slaves, until technology such as the cotton gin came about. Cotton today comprises 13% of all agricultural activity in the U.S.

Cotton used to be an expensive [[textile]] when an Indian hand spinner took 50,000 hours to spin 100 pounds of cotton. In the 1760s, the hand-operated cotton ‘Mule’ spinning machine created stronger threads and could spin many bobbins at the same time, so the time dropped to 300 hours. In 1825, the automated self-acting mule spinner reduced the spinning time of 100 pounds of cotton to 135 hours. Cotton cloth then became cheap, and cotton production a major industry.<ref>Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History</ref> Recently, cotton has been genetically engineered to have a designated color, eliminating the need for dyes.

Cotton used to be an expensive [[textile]] when an Indian hand spinner took 50,000 hours to spin 100 pounds of cotton. In the 1760s, the hand-operated cotton ‘Mule’ spinning machine created stronger threads and could spin many bobbins at the same time, so the time dropped to 300 hours. In 1825, the automated self-acting mule spinner reduced the spinning time of 100 pounds of cotton to 135 hours. Cotton cloth then became cheap, and cotton production a major industry.<ref>Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History</ref> Recently, cotton has been genetically engineered to have a designated color, eliminating the need for dyes.

==Cotton Blends==

==Cotton Blends==

Cotton is often blended with other fabrics, such as [[polyester]] or [[wool]].

Cotton is often blended with other fabrics, such as [[polyester]] or [[wool]].

==References==

==References==