DOMESTICATION FOR THE AGES
Though sheep bones have been found at neolithic sites, archaeologists believe humans started domesticating sheep around 7000 B.C.E. Early sheep had two coats, an outer coat to protect them, and a softer inner coat for warmth.
Ancient sheep shed their coats each spring and didn’t need to be sheared. The earliest domesticated sheep were probably bred only for meat. Around the 4th millennium, there are records that list wool sheep and reference sheep plucking, as sheep shears hadn’t been invented yet. Wool sheep are referenced in records from ancient Uruk and later in Sumeria.
In the middle ages, Spaniards started crossing the Spanish ewes with African rams from Morocco. The result was the merino sheep. It’s wool was finer than any other sheep and Spain cornered the European market on wool. Spain refused to export any merinos and therefore retained control of the sheep. Then in the 1700s, some Spanish monarchs decided to share the merinos with their relatives in other European countries and thus the quest for the merino sheep began.[1]
Over time, modern sheep have been bred in a way which barely resemble sheep of the past. The coarseness of the wool has given way for silkier wool and have been given up to more practical daily uses for everything from blankets and pillows, to curtains and organizational supplies (see yesterday's post). While Sheep bred for meat maintain a coarser coat, on the whole, the majority of sheep have been blended and bred to be easy on the hand and soft to the touch.
WOOL IN AMERICA | George Washington's Wool Suit Set the Industry in Motion
"During the presidency, George Washington maintained a wardrobe with a variety of suits for different occasions, including several brown suits. This brown suit owned by Washington, with its more informal double-breasted coat, may have been worn by him for dressy daytime events. Could it be the suit worn for his first inauguration? Possibly, but the evidence remains inconclusive. While first-hand accounts of the 1789 inauguration note that Washington wore a plain brown suit of American-made broadcloth, they do not comment on the cut or style. At least one other brown coat, and a possible contender for the inauguration coat, survives in the Mount Vernon collection." [2]
After the Revolutionary War, the sheep which remained were scrawny, scruffy and unsuitable for any other use than that of coarse goods such as sackcloth and carpets. In an effort to bolster the American economy where the wool industry was concerned, President George Washington chose to wear a suit such as this one in the above picture to his inauguration. A humble option for the first sitting President of the United States of America.
While America was weaning itself off of its dependence on Britain, there was little incentive to produce wool of its own. The fabrics and yarns of Europe remained easily accessible and inexpensive to the Colonial Americans which is why President Washington and later his adopted son George Washington Parke Custis made it their mission to encourage sheep breeding which then led to the development of the Arlington Longwool breed.
WHEN TAX BREAKS AREN'T ENOUGH
Even through all the advancements and encouragements to Americans from the political party including: Sheep shearing events (the precursors to our modern State Fairs), Merino wool societies being formed, and tax breaks being offered to sheep farmers, sheep farming was still being viewed as a pastime only for the rich.
In response to this lackluster adaptation to American independence where wool was concerned, in 1806 the United States began restricting wool imports by establishing various embargoes against Britain's supply of wool. This gave the wool industry in America a jump start and through the acquisition of 20,000 Merino sheep in the early 1800s (thanks to Napoleon's march on Spain), America was off and spinning. :)
THE WAR OF 1812
The foresight to begin producing wool as an independent nation was JUST IN TIME. Thanks to the War of 1812, the demand for wool uniforms was at a premium. Wool is water resistant, flame retardant, and when woven tightly as in the fisherman's gansey sweater weave, wool is the ideal fabric for combat. The army was able to source about 70% of its woolen goods domestically, and the navy about 15%. After the war in 1815, trade opened back up and once again there was a surplus of fine wool available to the US.
"Sheep are as versatile as the fiber they produce. All parts are used; they provide tender, delicious meat… and wool is a renewable resource. Sheep thrive in all 50 states and most nations of the world, often in rough, barren ranges, or high altitudes where other animals cannot survive because of lack of vegetation. Sheep can survive and flourish on weeds and vegetation other animals will not eat, therefore they convert to protein a group of natural resources which would otherwise be wasted. Sheep fill our food and fiber needs today just as they have for centuries."[3]
AMERICAN WOOLEN COMPANIES
I began this post today desiring to learn more about the wool industry in America. As a nation, our wool industry is fairly new having begun in earnest in the late 1700s. What started out as need to become a more independent nation lead to mass production thanks to embargoes and as an answer to a utilitarian and military need for American soldiers. In tomorrow's blog post I will be writing about some of the oldest and most noted American Wool companies such as The American Woolen Company, Pendleton, and Woolrich Woolen Mills.
Who knew wool in America had such an interesting and industrial past? While in school, I can remember learning a lot of information about America's dependance on the cotton industry from cotton farming, cotton industrialists and cotton inventions like the cotton gin of 1793, but I can't remember learning a thing about wool! I am so glad I was impressed to devote an entire week to the Wonderful World of Wool, I am learning so much - I hope you are too!
[1]: https://blog.fabrics-store.com/2015/04/16/a-brief-history-of-wool-domestication-breeding-and-economics/
[2]: https://www.mountvernon.org/preservation/collections-holdings/browse-the-museum-collections/object/w-574a-b/#-