Georgia Cotton Kingdom

Key to the Cotton Kingdom’s international dominance was the selection of cotton seeds grown in the region. However, what grew well in Mississippi did not grow well near the mountain in Georgia, nor the coastal areas of Louisana. Thus selective cotton breeding became a huge component of the cotton industry.

It’s easy to forget that cotton is a plant. Its ubiquitous use could lead to assumptions that it is a man-made product. Early southern cotton was bread for a few characteristics, chief of which was purity. However, most planters weren’t familiar with basic biology, leaving the breeding to a select few who understood the process. Additionally, there were no regulations on early cottonseed, so it was easy to lie about the quality of cotton or even the breed of cotton. Generally, the longer the staple, ie the straightened tuft of cotton fluff, the higher quality the cotton will be. The shorter the staple, the harder it was to clean and extract the cotton, further necessitating the use of the cotton gin. Shorter staple cotton grew best in most of the cotton kingdom.

Coastal areas were the most prized cultivation sites because of their rich soil, due mostly to tidal waters and collecting sediment deposits from further inland. Areas surrounding the Mississippi delta in the gulf states and especially the costal areas and Golden Isles in Georgia are the best examples. The highest quality cottons in the world today were bred from one particular strand named after a well-known Georgia island: Sea Island Cotton. If you’ve ever bought Egyptian cotton sheets, or Pima cotton T-shirts, you are buying a specialized breed of old Sea Island Cotton. Offspring of Sea Island Cotton produce the longest, softest, and strongest staple of cottons in the world today.