1. The Journey of Cotton
During the early 19th century cotton goods were sought after. Factories, like the Blantyre Cotton Works, shipped their products all over the world, but the cotton trade was far from fair.
Cotton was grown in huge fields and was hand-picked by enslaved people. It was then brought to factories, like the one David Livingstone worked at, to be woven into cloth. Once woven, the cotton would be turned into all sorts of products like clothing, curtains and tablecloths. It would be sold all over the world for lots of money.
Learn more about the connections between the cotton trade and slavery, as well as injustices in today’s cotton industry in the following sections.