Key facts
- Manchester cotton workers supported Abraham Lincoln's blockade of cotton from Confederate states during the US Civil War.
- The workers' actions were in defiance of business interests that relied on cotton.
- Abraham Lincoln commended the workers for their 'historic expression of Christian humility and charity, and grace'.
- Obama stated that his journey as a symbol of the US moving towards inclusivity was not about a post-racial America but about 'we the people' meaning all people.
Former US President Barack Obama drew inspiration from the historical actions of Manchester's cotton workers during a recent appearance in the city. Speaking to a large audience on Thursday, Obama highlighted how these workers, despite facing hardship and economic dependence on cotton, chose to stand in solidarity with enslaved African Americans during the American Civil War.