In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in the United States. This machine sped up the manual process of separating cotton fibers from their seeds, allowing more output to be produced in less time. The process of refining the cotton became less labor-intensive, as less labor is needed to produce the same amount of output. The invention made cotton a very profitable crop across the South. However, labor was still needed to harvest the crop. Despite the terrible consequences of increased slave labor that grew along with the plantations, the invention of the cotton gin enhanced economic growth. The production of cotton grew exponentially. This massive growth can be seen from how “in 1790, America produced 1,500 pounds of cotton” (“The Impact
