How did the cotton gin impact the backcountry in South Carolina?

Cotton has always been used for many different activities, especially for wearing several types of clothes, many of them were and are used for working within companies that require special works. Let's take a look at some of its history in South Carolina.

Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin, demand created by the British textile industry, and an improved transportation system were major factors for the rapid spread of upland or short staple cotton into the backcountry during the first decade of the nineteenth century.

As late as 1820 South Carolina produced more than one-half the nation's cotton, and it was the major crop in nearly every district of the state except those along the coast. Abbeville, Edgefield, Fairfield, and Laurens Districts were leading producers.

Cotton served as an important staple crop during the antebellum (which means "before world") period and continued as the foundation of the state's economy from the postbellum (which means "after war") period through World War II.