Final answer:
Cotton was a pivotal crop to the Texas economy in the 1800s, which remains significant today. The advent of Eli Whitney's cotton gin and the ability to produce cotton efficiently secured its position as a major commercial crop, producing two-thirds of the world's supply by 1860.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 1800s, cotton was (and continues to be) very important to the Texas economy. The crop became the backbone of the Southern economy thanks to technological advancements such as Eli Whitney's cotton gin, invented in 1793. The cotton gin revolutionized the production of cotton by separating seeds from raw cotton effectively and at a faster pace, transforming the crop into a highly profitable cash crop.
By the 1830s, cotton had become the primary crop not only for the Southwestern states but also for the entire nation. The antebellum South saw cotton eclipse other commercial crops like tobacco, rice, and sugar in economic importance. By 1860, the region was producing a staggering two-thirds of the world's cotton supply, substantially facilitated by the forced labor of enslaved people.
During and after the Civil War, the cotton economy experienced a decline, with farmers attempting to continue production to recover from financial losses, often finding themselves in further debt due to failed crops and falling prices. Nonetheless, the industry persisted, and cotton along with other crops such as tobacco and rice, remained central to the Southern economy. Through the latter part of the 19th century and beyond, cotton continued to be an important cash crop, deeply influencing the economy of Texas and the Southern United States.