Georgia colonists were quick to experiment withplants that could be cultivated to supply income.While growing mulberry to produce silk, grapes toproduce wine and indigo to produce dye were marginally sucessful, those early enterprisesproved economically unsound. Rice cultivation was profitable but was restricted to coastal marshes.As settlers migrated into the Georgia backcountrythey farmed tobacco. However, it was sea islandcotton that introduced Georgians to the cashcrop that shaped the state's economy. In the 19th century upland, short staple cotton spreadinto the interior and dominated the state'sagriculture. In 1860, Georgia's cotton harvestyeilded 700,000 bales. During WWI, cotton production averaged 1.7 million bales per year. In Georgia, cotton was "King," and Savannahevolved into a thriving international marketplacedue to the valuable commodity.
Gossypium Barbadense
Thomas Spalding greatly encouraged the cultivationof sea island cotton in coastal Georgia. In 1824, the planter remarked,"When God abandoned man inparidse, to save him from despair, he plucked fromEden's bower One Flower and planted in his bosom,watered by love divine, it grew, and grows there still.It is Hope. In every dark, distrastrous hour, look to this flower, for it has amuletic power, far beyond theLamp of Aladdin, far beyond the Ring of Solomom."
Picking Georgia Cotton
( With Picture )
Cotton was planted in the spring and the bollstediously picked by hand in the autumn. It wastransported from the fields in baskets or sacksto the gin to remove seeds. After cleaning, thecotton fiber was pressed into bales.
Ships Loading " White Gold" On the Savannah Dock
( With Picture )
" As we walked, day by day, through the Savannah streets, late into autumn, we were amazed at themasses of the cotton bales piled everywhere. Theylined the commercial avenues for hundreds of rods,down by the waterside they were heaped inmammoth piles, and the processions of drays seemedendless. The huge black ships swallowed bale afterbale; the clank of the hoisting-crane was heard formorning to till night. "
Cotton Awaiting Shipment to Mills in Europe
Cotton bales stacked along a Savannah wharfawait trans-Atlantic shipment in 1914. That year marked a world record production of the Georgia commodity.
Inventor Eli Whitney
( With Picture )
Eli Whitney demonstrated a keen talent for mechanical inventions. While residing at theMulberry Grove ( picture included ) plantation of General Nathanael Greene's widow, he "struck outa plan of a Machine" for cleaning green cotton. In1794, Whitney erected a gin on a ballast foundationnear the Greene home. Despite its amazing success,patent litigation precluded financial rewards forWhitney. He retired to Connecticut and immersedbody and spirit into the manufacture of small arms.
( Also included: Gin Advertisement )
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