Why did the cultivation of the shorter-fiber Gossypium hirsutum ...

[Yi-Chen]

Why did the cultivation of the shorter-fiber Gossypium hirsutum type of cotton have a much greater impact in the United States than the longer-fiber Gossypium barbadense variety?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

How long have humans been using cotton in North America?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[leannegxo]

Answer to Question 1

The Gossypium barbadense variety of cotton was less successful because it could only be grown along the coastal areas of the South and the Caribbean. The Gossypium hirsutum variety of cotton was more successful because it could be grown in areas away from the southern seacoast, and because the invention of the cotton gin made it easier to separate the cotton seeds and fiber that previously made this variety difficult to work with.

Answer to Question 2

It is believed that humans have used cotton in North America for at least 7,000 years.