NORTH CAROLINA HERITAGE

Cotton

About 1840, cotton became an important part of the North Carolina economy.  Cotton plantations began to thrive with the introduction of slave labor.

This success led to the development of the textile industry.  By 1860, there were 45 cotton mills in the state.  The growth continued and in 1925, North Carolina produced 1,102,000 bales of cotton.  However, in the 1930's, the Great Depression and the boll weevil nearly defeated cotton farmers.  This trend continued until the 1990's.  At that time, an insect-resistant cotton crop was engineered and an increase in cotton prices caused renewed interest in cotton planting.  In 2003, North Carolina was the 6th largest producer of cotton in the nation.

Tobacco

North Carolina is best-known for its tobacco production.  Smoking increased during the Civil War and created a demand for the bright leaf tobacco grown in North Carolina.  In 1880, North Carolina produced approximately 2 million hand-rolled cigarettes.  Large and small farm owners, as well as sharecroppers, were making a good living from tobacco.  By 1920, Winston-Salem and Durham supplied 20% of tobacco products sold in the United States.  The Great Depression brought profits to an end; but the tobacco industry rebounded with the onset of World War II.  In the 1960's, the serious health risks of smoking were publically acknowledged.  Since then, the tobacco industry has experienced a steady decline.

Other Crops

For centuries, tobacco and cotton were North Carolina's main field crops.  However, other products - soybeans, corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts, wheat, hay, and Christmas trees have come to play an important part in the state's agricultural history.  By 1917, North Carolina was the top soybean producer in America.  Most of the state's soybean and corn crops are grown in the Coastal Plains.  North Carolina also produces over 20 per cent of real Christmas trees in the United States.  In 2011, the state's Christmas tree sales exceeded 75 million dollars.