The origins of cotton are hard to place down. Reports are few and far between with some saying as early as 5500 BCE and others dating it closer to 2500 BCE. Cotton reached global prominence in the 1600s with the cultural transformation of Europe during the Industrial Revolution. By 1664, the East India Company was importing a quarter of a million pieces into Britain annually. In the 1700s, the middle class wanted garments that were more easily cleaned and fashionable. Britain surpassed India as the world’s leading cotton textile manufacturer in the 19th century. This was made possible, in part, by Britain’s trade deals with its own colonies, whose settlers retained their British sensibilities and fashion sense. This growth further increased with Eli Whitney’s invention of the modern cotton gin in 1793.