Visualizing 19th Century Cotton Trade

Measure — Growth in cotton exportation to England over the 19th century.

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This map illustrates the quantity of cotton exported each year, between 1790 and 1880, from India, Egypt, Brazil and the United States to England. This interactive map is inspired by Joseph Minard’s map of cotton exportation.

In 1859, before the start of the Civil War, the South assumed that the booming cotton trade with England would pay for the war’s costs. — View the Interactive Visualization

By 1862, however, the North set up a naval blockade, and India began to increase its production of cotton. — View the Interactive Visualization

Throughout the war, through 1865 , India was England’s main supplier of cotton, and the South was deprived of the revenue it needed to pay for the war.— View the Interactive Visualization

By 1878, after the war, the South resumed its pre-Civil war level of cotton production and exportation.— View the Interactive Visualization

Click to Open the Visualization

Drag the slider to change the year.

Minard’s Original Map

Sources

Brian Mitchell (2003). International historical statistics: Europe 1750–2000. Palgrave Macmillan.
Brian Mitchell (2003). International historical statistics: Africa, Asia & Oceania: 1750–2000. Palgrave Macmillan.
Brian Mitchell (2003). International historical statistics: The Americas: 1750–2000. Palgrave Macmillan.

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