And the reason why Britain wanted those raw resources was because it was the epicenter of the industrial revolution. Manchester was nicknamed "Cottonopolis"...

And the reason why Britain wanted those raw resources was because it was the epicenter of the industrial revolution. Manchester was nicknamed "Cottonopolis"... full of cotton mills driven by water and then steam, and connected by the first inter-city railway. Cotton picked by slaves in the U.S. south was the main source of raw materials for these factories.