One of the reasons I love being out at the
Ranch@,
(short for Ranching Heritage Center@)
is because of the dedication on the part of nearly everyone out there to the
legacy of our history & the study of how we came into our know-how in
regard, not only to survival, but in the charm & creativity that makes it
all worth while.
Take the following Fact Sheet #8: The History of Wool@. I get
a kick out of any opportunity I get to enhance the hands-on knowledge I seek to
impart to visitors & students out there. Besides weapons & fire tending,
our training often includes gems just like this. And I love learning a little
about my own past while weaving a little bit on the shimmering tapestry of our
big & long old trail of humanity, at the same time. I have to say, what y=al
do & make possible out there, Stephanie, is very special!
Yrs, faithfully,
Barbara
The History of Wool
Like human civilization, the story of wool begins in Asia Minor
during the Stone Age about 10,000 years ago. Primitive man living in the
Mesopotamian Plain used sheep for three basic human needs: food, clothing, &
shelter.
Later on man learned to spin & weave. As primitive as they
must have been, woolens become part of the riches of Babylon.
The warmth of wool clothing & the portability of sheep
allowed mankind to spread civilization far beyond the warm & even climate of
Mesopotamia.
Between 3000 & 1000 BC the Persians, Greeks, & Romans
distributed sheep & wool throughout Europe as they continued to improve
breeds. The Romans took sheep everywhere as they built their Empire in what is
now Spain, North Africa, & on the British Isles. They established a wool
plant in what is now Winchester, England, as early as 50 AD.
The Saracens, nomadic people of the Syrian-Arabian deserts,
conquered Spain in the eighth century & established a widespread wool export
trade with North Africa, Greece, Egypt, & Constantinople.
During the twelfth century, weaving in Florence, Genoa, &
Venice was stimulated by the Norman conquest of Greece. The conquerors sent
about a hundred Greek weavers to Palermo as slaves, & their extraordinary
work was copied at once by Italian weavers.
Back in Spain a thriving wool trade helped finance the voyages
of Columbus & the Conquistador's. Guarding its wealth closely, Spain levied
the death penalty on anyone exporting sheep until 1786. That year King Louis XVI
imported 386 Merino ewes to cross with sheep on his estate at Rambouillet in
Northern France. The resulting Rambouillet breed is highly desirable today
because of its fine & long-staple wool.
Just like Spain, England froze its borders to raw wool exports.
In 1377 England=s King Edward III, Athe
royal wool merchant@ stopped
woven-goods imports & the domestic weaving of foreign wools & invited
Flemish weavers fleeing the Spanish invasion to settle in England where the
industry thrived. By 1660 wool textile exports were two-thirds of England=s
foreign commerce.
Columbus brought sheep to Cuba & Santo Domingo on his second
voyage in 1493, & Cortez took their descendants along when he explored what
is now Mexico & the southwestern United States. Navajo & other Southwest
Indian tribes are famous yet today for their magnificent woolen rugs &
colorful wall hangings.
Although pelts may have been worn in Britain as early as the
late Bronze Age (3000 BC) England=s Aempire
of wool@ peaked during the 1509-47
reign of King Henry VIII. He seized the flocks of the monasteries &
redistributed them to court favorites. This caused unemployed shepherds to be
sent to prison for non-payment of debts & was one of the unfair treatments
which incited immigration to America.
Despite the fact that England tried to discourage a wool
industry in North America, a few smuggles sheep had multiplied to about 100,000
by 1665. Massachusetts even passed a law requiring young people to spin &
wave. Traditions & folklore grew with the industry. Spinning duties fell to
the eldest unmarried daughter in the family, hence the term Aspinster@.
Spun yarn was wound on a reel (weasel) which made a popping sound when a given
yardage was reached. Pop goes the weasel!
King George III of England made wool trading in the Colonies a
punishable offense. Cutting off the offender=s
right hand was the chosen punishment. This policy, together with other
oppressive actions including the Stamp Act of 1765 which required that revenue
stamps be affixed to all printed matter & official documents in the
Colonies, helped incite the Revolutionary war.
Despite the King=s
attempts to disrupt wool commerce, the wool industry flourished in America. Both
Washington & Jefferson maintained flocks of sheep; both were inaugurated in
woolen suits. New inventions like the spinning jenny, combing machines &
water powered looms expanded the industry rapidly. Sheep moved West with
civilization & beyond; at the turn of the 18th century small
bands in the hands of pioneers started the industry in Australia, New Zealand
& South Africa.
Sheep are as versatile as the fiber they produce. All parts are
used; they provide tender, delicious meat . . . & wool is a renewable
resource. Sheep thrive in all 50 states & 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 & flourish on weeds &
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 & fiber needs today just as they have
for centuries.@
