See also: Burlington Industries; Cannon Mills; Chatham
Manufacturing Company; Coleman Manufacturing Company; Cone Mills
Corporation; Cotton Mills; Gastonia Strike; Glencoe; Hanes
Brands; Harriet-Henderson Cotton Mills Strike; Life in Textile
Mill Villages; Textile Strike of 1934; Childhood in the Textile
Mill Villages; The Evolution of Textile Mill Villages; Textile
Part 1: Introduction Textiles, various forms of fibers, yarn,
cloth, and other materials, along with the clothing and apparel
made from textiles, have been among North Carolina's most
important products since the early nineteenth century. As the
textile industry expanded and North Carolina became a worldwide
leader in textile production, the poor working conditions of the
state's mills, often populated by women and children, became the
focal point of aggressive but generally fruitless union
activity. After decades of high production, the industry began
to face massive economic challenges during the 1970s as foreign
imports of clothing and apparel