Final answer:
The labor-intensive cotton production process spanned several months each year, heavily relying on the work of enslaved individuals from planting cotton seeds to the final product. Enslaved workers faced harsh conditions during the lengthy picking season. As technology like the cotton gin advanced, cotton could be processed more efficiently, leading to centralized factory production.
Step-by-step explanation:
History of Cotton Production and Processing
The cotton picking process historically required immense labor and was tied to the agricultural economy that relied heavily on the work of enslaved people. During the cotton picking season, which ran from spring into early winter, enslaved workers would engage in cotton picking multiple times as the cotton plants continued to produce bolls. The grueling workday extended from sunrise to sunset, with minimal rest and under harsh conditions.
Once picked, sometimes the cotton was dried before being ginned. The invention of the cotton gin marked a significant advancement in the cotton processing industry, enabling a laborer to clean the seeds from fifty pounds of cotton in a day, a sizable increase from the tedious process of cleaning just one pound by hand. Post-ginning, the cotton fibers were pressed into large bales for transport.
Planting cotton seeds was done in March and April, with careful cultivation following through August. August marked the beginning of the intensive cotton picking season, with the task being carried out by all enslaved individuals on a plantation, regardless of age or gender. The cotton then made its way to the factories, such as at Waltham, where it was further processed into yarn and woven into cloth, centralizing the entirety of the production process.