Q1. exceeds $120 billion, making cotton America's number one value-added crop. Cotton is a part of our daily lives from the time we dry our faces on a soft cotton towel in the morning until we slide between fresh cotton sheets at night. It has hundreds of uses, from blue jeans to shoe strings.
Q2. The cotton sector directly or indirectly generated more than 40% of rural employment and provided for nearly 50% of the population. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis, it contributed 13% to the GDP.
Q3. Growing more cotton meant an increased demand for slaves. Slaves in the Upper South became incredibly more valuable as commodities because of this demand for them in the Deep South. They were sold off in droves. This created a Second Middle Passage, the second largest forced migration in America's history.