True Tales You Never Knew About Tarriffs And Textiles
The talk of the town right now is all about tariffs. In the fabric business, this is old news. In fact, it is one of the oldest stories in the almost 250-year history of the United States.
Did you know...America used spies to sneak spinning technology back from Britain?
When George Washington was inaugurated in 1789 as the first President of the United States, there was very little industry in America besides shipbuilding. He made sure to wear a suit made from cloth woven in the good old USA, even though almost all high-quality cloth was made in Britain at that time. Britain had the corner on industrial spinning and weaving technology. America solved that problem by using industrial spies to sneak back the technology and start their own spinning mills. That's why you can buy fabrics made in America today!
Did you know...Alexander Hamilton, our first Secretary of Treasury, prepared the first American tariffs on imports in the 1790's?
Although the Broadway smash hit "Hamilton" has brought Alexander Hamilton's story forward to the public, there are parts of his story that were simplified or overlooked entirely for the sake of a good performance. Hamilton's tariffs were the first for America and both raised revenue and protected industries in America from foreign competition. In honor of our Founding Fathers, here are some red, white and blue fabrics just for you.
Did you know...President Jackson threatened military action if necessary to enforce federal tariff law against South Carolina and was authorized by Congress to use it?
America's national debt had tripled during the War of 1812. The Northern States wanted high tariffs on industrial goods like cloth, but needed to import raw materials like wool, flax and hemp. The Southern States wanted high tariffs on raw materials. The Tariff bills of 1828 and 1832 made the Southerners angry enough that South Carolina passed an "Ordinance of Nullification" declaring those federal tariffs null and void within the borders of their state. President Jackson threatened using federal forces against South Carolina and was authorized by Congress to do so. The Compromise Tariff of 1833 ended this crisis, and tariffs tapered downward until the Civil War. Here are some cotton fabrics and wool fabrics you can buy now.
Did you know...President Lincoln required the federal government to purchase flags that were 100% made in the United States?
In 1865, President Lincoln signed a law requiring that the federal government purchase flag bunting only from American manufacturers, which put an end to the use of the popular English-produced wool bunting material in government flags. Over the years, the federal government requirements have changed for what fabric can be legally used for American flags. At one point, the federal government mandated that American flags must be only 50% American-made. But on July 30, 2024, the All-American Flag Act that was signed into law now mandates that flags purchased by the federal government be manufactured in the U.S. from materials that have been U.S. grown, produced, or manufactured. That's a lot of back and forth over almost 250 years. But the American flag still flies, and for your 4th of July celebration, here are some star fabrics or striped fabrics.
There are many more stories we could share about tariffs and textiles from the almost 250-year history of the United State of America. But like those who have gone before us, no matter what tariff turbulence we face, we will continue to offer our customers a panoply of great fabrics at House Fabric located right here in the good ole USA.
