<P> Early cotton farming in the United States is synonymous with the history of slavery in the United States . By the late 1920s around two - thirds of all African - American tenants and almost three - fourths of the croppers worked on cotton farms, and two in three black women from black landowning families were involved in cotton farming . Cotton farming was one of the major areas of racial tension in its history, where many whites expressed concerns about the mass employment of blacks in the industry and the dramatic growth of black landowners . Southern black cotton farmers faced discrimination from the north in particular, and strikes often broke out by black cotton farmers . Although the industry was badly affected by falling prices and pests in the early 1920s, the main reason is undoubtedly the mechanization of agriculture in explaining why many blacks moved to northern American cities in the 1940s and 1950s during the "Great Migration" as mechanization of agriculture was introduced, leaving many unemployed . The Hopson Planting Company produced the first crop of cotton to be entirely planted, harvested, and baled by machinery in 1944 . </P> <P> Native Americans were observed growing cotton by the Coronado expedition in the early 1540s . This also ushered the slave trade to meet the growing need for labour to grow cotton, a labor - intensive crop and a cash crop of immense economic worth . And in the American South an entire civilization was based the "King Cotton". As the chief crop, the southern part of United States prospered thanks to its slavery - dependent economy . Over the centuries, cotton became a staple crop in American agriculture . The cotton farming also subsidized in the country by U.S. government, as a trade policy, specifically to the "corporate agribusiness" almost ruined the economy of people in many underdeveloped countries such as Mali and many other developing countries (in view of low profits in the light of stiff competition from the United States, the workers could hardly make both ends meet to survive with cotton sales). </P> <P> Historians believe that cotton farming was introduced into the United States by immigrants . While it was recorded in Florida in 1556 and in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, it is believed that cotton has been planted and cultured in the United States since 1621 . Plantation owners brought mass supplies of labor (slaves) from Africa and the Caribbean and Mexico to farm the fields during cotton harvests . Black women and children were also employed in the industry . Cotton farming became a major issue of racial conflict in the history of the United States, particularly during the 19th century . Prior to the U.S Civil War, cotton production expanded from 750,000 bales in 1830 to 2.85 million bales in 1850 . After, Southern black cotton farmers faced discrimination from the North, and many white Democrats were concerned about how many of them were being employed in the U.S. cotton industry and the dramatic growth of black landowners . They urged white farmers in the South to take control of the industry, which from time to time resulted in strikes by black cotton pickers; for instance blacks led by the Colored Farmer's Association (CFA) strikers from Memphis organized a strike in Lee County, Arkansas in 1891, which resulted in much violence . Black cotton farmers were very important to entrepreneurs which emerged during industrialization in the United States, particularly Henry Ford . </P> <P> The United States, observed in 1940 that "many thousands of black cotton farmers each year now go to the polls, stand in line with their white neighbors, and mark their ballots independently without protest or intimidation, in order to determine government policy toward cotton production control ." However, discrimination towards blacks continued as it did in the rest of society, and isolated incidents often broke out . On September 25, 1961, Herbert Lee, a black cotton farmer and voter - registration organizer, was shot in the head by a white state legislator in Liberty, Missouri . Yet the cotton industry continued to be very important for blacks in the southern United States, much more so than for whites . By the late 1920s around two - thirds of all African - American tenants and almost three - fourths of the croppers worked on cotton farms . Three out of four black farm operators earned at least 40% of their income from cotton farming during this period . Studies conducted during the same period indicated that two in three black women from black landowning families were involved in cotton farming . </P>

How many bales of cotton were produced in 1860