The history of cotton can be traced to domestication. Cotton played an important role in the history of India, the British Empire, and the United States, and continues to be an important crop and commodity.

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Several isolated civilizations in both the Old and New World independently domesticated and converted cotton into fabric. The same tools were invented, including combs, bows, hand spindles, and primitive looms. The oldest cotton textiles were found in graves and city ruins of civilizations from dry climates, where the fabrics did not decay completely.

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Cotton's rise to global importance came about as a result of the cultural transformation of Europe and Britain's trading empire. Calico and chintz, types of cotton fabrics, became popular in Europe, and by 1664 the East India Company was importing a quarter of a million pieces into Britain. By the 18th century, the middle class had become more concerned with cleanliness and fashion, and there was a demand for easily washable and colourful fabric.

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In 1912, the British cotton industry was at its peak, producing eight billion yards of cloth. In World War I, cotton couldn't be exported to foreign markets, and some countries built their own factories, particularly Japan. By 1933 Japan had 24 hour cotton production and became the world's largest cotton manufacturer. Demand for British cotton slumped, and during the interwar period 345,000 workers left the industry and 800 mills closed.

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India's boycott of British cotton products devastated Lancashire, and in Blackburn 74 mills closed in under four years.

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In World War II, the British cotton industry saw an upturn and an increase in workers, with Lancashire mills being tasked with creating parachutes and uniforms for the war.

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In the 1950s and '60s, many workers came from the Indian sub-continent and were encouraged to look for work in Lancashire. An increase in the work force allowed mill owners to introduce night shifts. This resurgence in the textile industry did not last long, and by 1958, Britain had become a net importer of cotton cloth.

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Mill closures occurred in Lancashire, and it was failing to compete with foreign industry. During the 1960s and '70s, a mill closed in Lancashire almost once a week. By the 1980s, the textile industry of North West Britain had almost disappeared.

A crop of Cotton in India

The 'Spinning Jenny' a key development in the

production of cotton in Britain