Read the passage and answer the question:

Before the 1860s, three-fourths of raw cotton imports into Britain came from America. British cotton manufacturers had for long been worried about this dependence on American supplies. What would happen if this source was cut off? Troubled by this question, they eagerly looked for alternative sources of supply.

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, a wave of panic spread through cotton circles in Britain. Raw cotton imports from America fell to less than three per cent of the normal: from over 2,000,000 bales (of 400 lbs each) in 1861 to 55,000 bales in 1862. Frantic messages were sent to India and elsewhere to increase cotton exports to Britain. In Bombay, cotton merchants visited the cotton districts to assess supplies and encourage cultivation.

Which of the following events was responsible for the rapid decline in cotton imports from America to Britain in the 1860s?

1- American War of Independence
2- American Civil War 
3- American-Britain War
4- Anglo-British War II

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

2

The correct answer is Option 2 - 2

1- American War of Independence
2- American Civil War 
3- American-Britain War
4- Anglo-British War II

As per the passage:

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, a wave of panic spread through cotton circles in Britain. Raw cotton imports from America fell to less than three per cent of the normal: from over 2,000,000 bales (of 400 lbs each) in 1861 to 55,000 bales in 1862. Frantic messages were sent to India and elsewhere to increase cotton exports to Britain.