Week 10

Question 1

What is the significance of cotton in the textile industry?

Answer 1

Cotton is the primary material for many textile products, including T-shirts, and has a long history of influencing global trade and economies.

Question 2

What role did cotton play in early civilizations?

Answer 2

Cotton was used by civilizations in South and Central America as early as 5000 BCE and in the Indus Valley by 3000 BCE.

Question 3

How did cotton spread to Europe?

Answer 3

Cotton was introduced to Europe through trade and military conquests, notably when Alexander the Great’s men discovered cotton clothing in India.

Question 4

What did Herodotus say about cotton in ancient Greece?

Answer 4

Herodotus described cotton as “a wool exceeding in beauty and goodness that of sheep.”

Question 5

How did Columbus contribute to the spread of cotton?

Answer 5

Columbus encountered cotton in the Bahamas, where natives used it for clothing, and he was impressed by its colors.

Question 6

How did cotton influence the slave trade in America?

Answer 6

Cotton farming in Virginia expanded the existing slave trade economy, which was initially driven by tobacco production.

Question 7

What role did India play in the global cotton supply in the 1600s?

Answer 7

India supplied most of Europe with cotton, particularly to Britain, in exchange for gold.

Question 8

What was the impact of the British East India Company on the cotton trade?

Answer 8

The British East India Company imported cotton, particularly calico, from India, and later sold processed cotton back to India after being manufactured in England.

Question 9

What were the challenges in cotton production before industrialization?

Answer 9

Cotton production was limited by the need to comb, spin, and weave the cotton manually or with rudimentary technology.

Question 10

How did Richard Arkwright contribute to industrial cotton production?

Answer 10

Arkwright invented a water-powered system that produced stronger thread, making industrial-scale production possible.

Question 11

What was the significance of the power loom in textile production?

Answer 11

The power loom, patented by Reverend Edmund Cartwright in 1785, revolutionized weaving by increasing speed and efficiency.

Question 12

How did the cotton gin impact cotton production?

Answer 12

The cotton gin, patented by Eli Whitney, drastically increased cotton production by efficiently separating seeds from cotton fibers.

Question 13

How did cotton production in England change from 1796 to 1830?

Answer 13

Cotton cloth output in England rose dramatically from 21 million yards in 1796 to 347 million yards by 1830.

Question 14

What was the role of women and children in the early textile factories in England?

Answer 14

Women and children were primary sources of labor in early English textile factories due to their low cost and compliance.

Question 15

What was the Factory Act of 1833, and how did it affect child labor?

Answer 15

The Factory Act of 1833 banned children under nine from working in textile factories and set limits on the hours they could work.

Question 16

How did England’s industrial power in cotton affect global trade?

Answer 16

England’s technological advancements allowed it to dominate the global cotton industry and influence economies worldwide, particularly in India.

Question 17

How did American industrial spies influence the U.S. textile industry?

Answer 17

American industrial spies, including Francis Cabot Lowell, memorized British textile machine designs and brought them back to America, leading to the development of successful textile mills.

Question 18

What was the significance of Lowell, Massachusetts, in the textile industry?

Answer 18

Lowell became a key industrial hub in the U.S., founded in the 1820s to produce textiles using the newly developed power loom system.

Question 19

Who were the “mill girls” in Lowell, Massachusetts?

Answer 19

The “mill girls” were young women, often from farming families, who worked in Lowell’s textile mills and operated the machinery.

Question 20

How did the textile industry in Lowell decline in the 1830s?

Answer 20

Declining cloth prices led to wage cuts and longer working hours, which caused labor unrest and strikes by the mill girls.

Question 21

How did the Civil War affect the cotton industry?

Answer 21

The Civil War disrupted the global cotton market by cutting off supplies from the U.S., forcing European countries to seek alternatives from places like India and Egypt.

Question 22

What was the role of cotton in U.S. exports by the 1850s?

Answer 22

By the 1850s, cotton accounted for more than 50% of U.S. exports, making it a key commodity in global trade.

Question 23

How did the end of the Civil War change cotton production?

Answer 23

The end of slavery led to the rise of sharecropping, and cotton production expanded into new regions, increasing the global reach of the industry.

Question 24

What was the impact of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire?

Answer 24

The 1911 fire in New York killed 146 garment workers and highlighted the unsafe conditions in the textile industry, leading to labor reform.

Question 25

What was the Rana Plaza disaster, and how did it impact the textile industry?

Answer 25

The Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh in 2013 killed 1,134 people and sparked debates about the responsibility of western consumers and companies in ensuring ethical working conditions.

Question 26

How has the textile industry shaped global trade historically?

Answer 26

The textile industry has been a major driver of global trade, connecting markets in Asia, Europe, and the Americas for centuries, with significant impacts on economies and cultures.

Question 27

What is the significance of the Silk Road in the history of textiles?

Answer 27

The Silk Road facilitated the exchange of goods, including textiles, between China and the Roman Empire, shaping global economic and cultural connections.

Question 28

What technological innovations marked the Industrial Revolution's impact on textiles?

Answer 28

Innovations like the Spinning Jenny, the Water Frame, and the Cotton Gin revolutionized the speed and efficiency of textile production.

Question 29

How did British industrialists like Richard Arkwright influence textile manufacturing?

Answer 29

Arkwright’s inventions, including the water-powered spinning machine, transformed textile production into a more efficient and industrialized process.

Question 30

How did Britain’s dominance in textile production affect India’s economy?

Answer 30

Britain’s industrial power and control over cotton trade led to economic exploitation of India, which became a supplier of raw materials and a market for British goods.

Question 31

What was the role of sharecropping in post-Civil War cotton production?

Answer 31

Sharecropping replaced slavery in the South, where formerly enslaved workers rented land and paid for its use with a portion of their cotton harvest.

Question 32

How did cotton connect global markets in the 19th century?

Answer 32

Cotton connected economies worldwide, with price fluctuations and supply disruptions in one region affecting global markets, as seen during the U.S. Civil War.

Question 33

What role did slavery play in the success of the U.S. cotton industry?

Answer 33

Slavery provided the labor needed for large-scale cotton production, enabling the U.S. to dominate global cotton markets and fueling European industrial economies.

Question 34

How did the global cotton trade evolve after the Civil War?

Answer 34

The end of slavery shifted cotton production to new labor systems and regions, including India, Egypt, and Brazil, which became key sources of cotton for global markets.

Question 35

What were the working conditions like in the early textile factories in England?

Answer 35

Early textile factories had poor working conditions, with long hours, low wages, and unsafe environments, especially for women and children.

Question 36

What were the economic consequences of the Civil War for European cotton industries?

Answer 36

The Union blockade of Southern ports during the Civil War led to a "cotton famine" in Europe, which forced industries to seek alternative sources of cotton.

Question 37

What technological advances enabled faster production in the textile industry?

Answer 37

The introduction of steam power and improvements in machinery like the power loom enabled faster and more efficient textile production during the Industrial Revolution.

Question 38

How did the Lowell system differ from earlier textile production methods?

Answer 38

The Lowell system integrated spinning and weaving under one roof with power looms, marking a significant departure from earlier decentralized, home-based production.

Question 39

What role did the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory play in labor reform?

Answer 39

The 1911 fire and the resulting public outcry led to significant labor reforms and safety regulations in the U.S. textile industry.

Question 40

What challenges does the modern textile industry face?

Answer 40

The industry faces challenges such as labor rights violations, unsafe working conditions, environmental impact, and ethical concerns over fast fashion.

Question 41

What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on workers in the textile industry?

Answer 41

The Industrial Revolution created mass labor opportunities in factories, but also led to poor working conditions, especially for women and children.

Question 42

What were the effects of Britain's industrial growth on India’s textile industry?

Answer 42

British industrial growth led to the suppression of India’s textile industry, with the British imposing tariffs and making Indian textiles uncompetitive in global markets.

Question 43

What were the economic drivers of the fast fashion industry?

Answer 43

Fast fashion grew due to consumer demand for cheap, trendy clothing, aided by the mass production capabilities of modern textile factories.

Question 44

What was the significance of the Spinning Jenny in the textile industry?

Answer 44

The Spinning Jenny allowed for the mass production of thread, dramatically improving the speed and efficiency of textile manufacturing.

Question 45

How did cotton’s role in the global economy change from the 19th century to the 20th century?

Answer 45

Cotton remained a key commodity but faced new challenges with labor rights, environmental concerns, and the rise of synthetic fibers in the 20th century.

Question 46

How did colonialism impact global cotton trade?

Answer 46

Colonialism, especially in India, played a key role in shaping the global cotton trade, with European powers controlling production and exploitation for economic gain.

Question 47

What were the long-term effects of the Rana Plaza disaster?

Answer 47

The Rana Plaza disaster raised awareness of the ethical implications of fast fashion and led to calls for greater responsibility in the textile industry.

Question 48

How did global trade in cotton lead to the development of modern economies?

Answer 48

Cotton trade fueled industrialization, particularly in Britain and the U.S., and helped establish global markets and trade routes that shaped modern economies.

Question 49

How did technological advances in the textile industry affect global labor markets?

Answer 49

Technological advances in textile manufacturing led to the outsourcing of labor to countries with lower wages, shifting production to developing nations.

Question 50

What were the key social impacts of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 50

The textile industry provided jobs but also exploited workers, particularly women and children, under harsh conditions that spurred labor movements and reforms.