Donovan Daniels
Mr. Milstead
AP Honors US History
December 6 2015
Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin In the late 18th century, plantations and cash crops were becoming less profitable. As a result, on March 14, 1794, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin and plantation owners looked to cotton farming as a faster way to get rich. With the emergence of textile industries and cotton farming, the cotton gin did its job and led the way towards an economic boom in America. Conflict between the north and south began as these immense plantations required more slaves than ever. The creation of Eli Whitney's cotton gin made the cotton business very profitable, increasing the amount of slavery and ultimately causing a civil war. Before the invention of the …show more content…
It made producing cotton a lot easier and it was faster, and farmers were finding profits, thanks to this time saving device. “After the invention of the cotton gin, the yield of raw cotton doubled each decade after 1800.” (Schur) By 1860, the United States produced about two-thirds of the cotton used in the world and the economy of the South depended almost exclusively on the cotton crop. “After Eli Whitney unveiled the cotton gin, processing cotton became much easier resulting in greater availability and cheaper cloth.” (Kelly, Martin. "The Importance of the Cotton Gin to American History.") This now meant that cotton could be produced plentifully and cheaply for domestic use and for export, and by the mid-19th century, cotton was America’s leading export. For the North, especially New England, cotton’s rise meant a steady supply of raw materials for its textile …show more content…
Both developments played significant roles in the onset of America’s Civil War.” (Latham 192)
“However, like many inventors, Whitney (who died in 1825) could not have foreseen the ways in which his invention would change society for the worse. The most significant of these was the growth of slavery. While it was true that the cotton gin reduced the labor of removing seeds, it did not reduce the need for slaves to grow and pick the cotton. In fact, the opposite occurred. Cotton growing became so profitable for the planters that it greatly increased their demand for both land and slave labor.”
Mr. Milstead
AP Honors US History
December 6 2015
Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin In the late 18th century, plantations and cash crops were becoming less profitable. As a result, on March 14, 1794, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin and plantation owners looked to cotton farming as a faster way to get rich. With the emergence of textile industries and cotton farming, the cotton gin did its job and led the way towards an economic boom in America. Conflict between the north and south began as these immense plantations required more slaves than ever. The creation of Eli Whitney's cotton gin made the cotton business very profitable, increasing the amount of slavery and ultimately causing a civil war. Before the invention of the …show more content…
It made producing cotton a lot easier and it was faster, and farmers were finding profits, thanks to this time saving device. “After the invention of the cotton gin, the yield of raw cotton doubled each decade after 1800.” (Schur) By 1860, the United States produced about two-thirds of the cotton used in the world and the economy of the South depended almost exclusively on the cotton crop. “After Eli Whitney unveiled the cotton gin, processing cotton became much easier resulting in greater availability and cheaper cloth.” (Kelly, Martin. "The Importance of the Cotton Gin to American History.") This now meant that cotton could be produced plentifully and cheaply for domestic use and for export, and by the mid-19th century, cotton was America’s leading export. For the North, especially New England, cotton’s rise meant a steady supply of raw materials for its textile …show more content…
Both developments played significant roles in the onset of America’s Civil War.” (Latham 192)
“However, like many inventors, Whitney (who died in 1825) could not have foreseen the ways in which his invention would change society for the worse. The most significant of these was the growth of slavery. While it was true that the cotton gin reduced the labor of removing seeds, it did not reduce the need for slaves to grow and pick the cotton. In fact, the opposite occurred. Cotton growing became so profitable for the planters that it greatly increased their demand for both land and slave labor.”