Cotton was a crop planted in the South but was not a cash crop like tobacco, rice, and indigo. It was difficult to harvest and it became more difficult as slave use declined. Eli Whitney, an inventor and graduate from Yale University, saw an opportunity in cotton despite its inability to produce much profit. Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin in 1793, while lessening the amount of labor needed to harvest cotton, led to the increase in slavery and harsher conditions for slaves. Slavery began decreasing after the Constitution, written in 1787. Many states such as Virginia became less dependent on slavery and gradual emancipation of slavery in the states north of the Mason-Dixon Line also was occurring (Bilali). Whitney went on a trip
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However, what he did foresee was the deep-seated impact the cotton gin would have on the United States. Whitney’s invention completely reversed the way slavery developed. The use of slavery in the United States from 1787 to 1792 began to decrease. Slaves became more expensive and many plantation owners in the South could not afford owning slaves. Cotton was planted in Southern states but it was very hard cultivate. Seeds had to be separated form the cotton by hand, an arduous process. Whitney’s invention mitigated this issue, allowing for fifty pounds of cotton to be cleaned daily (http://bcnteachingamericanhistory.com). As a result of the sudden boom in textiles, specifically cotton, slavery thrived. By 1860 there were fifteen slave states compared to only six by 1790 (archives.gov). National consensuses taken in 1790 and 1810 showed a 70% increase in slave population (pbs.org). However, the greatest consequence of the invention of the cotton gin was the increased brutality in the treatment of slaves. After the cotton gin’s invention, slaves worked on larger plantations and were forced to do more strenuous work to meet the new demands for cotton. Plantation owners found a necessity in slaves as they became valuable as cotton’s value increased. Despite the cotton gin’s ability to lessen the amount of labor needed to sift cotton seeds, slaves were treated harsher; evidenced by Solomon Northup’s description of life as a slave in Twelve Years a Slave. A disparity between upper class industrialists and land owners and lower class slaves and small-time farmers was formed due to the demand for cotton (Sengupta 5). Industry was prevalent in the North, which made transportation of cotton much easier. Cotton was able to thrive in cities with industry, and so the lower class, the ones who labored in the fields,
However, what he did foresee was the deep-seated impact the cotton gin would have on the United States. Whitney’s invention completely reversed the way slavery developed. The use of slavery in the United States from 1787 to 1792 began to decrease. Slaves became more expensive and many plantation owners in the South could not afford owning slaves. Cotton was planted in Southern states but it was very hard cultivate. Seeds had to be separated form the cotton by hand, an arduous process. Whitney’s invention mitigated this issue, allowing for fifty pounds of cotton to be cleaned daily (http://bcnteachingamericanhistory.com). As a result of the sudden boom in textiles, specifically cotton, slavery thrived. By 1860 there were fifteen slave states compared to only six by 1790 (archives.gov). National consensuses taken in 1790 and 1810 showed a 70% increase in slave population (pbs.org). However, the greatest consequence of the invention of the cotton gin was the increased brutality in the treatment of slaves. After the cotton gin’s invention, slaves worked on larger plantations and were forced to do more strenuous work to meet the new demands for cotton. Plantation owners found a necessity in slaves as they became valuable as cotton’s value increased. Despite the cotton gin’s ability to lessen the amount of labor needed to sift cotton seeds, slaves were treated harsher; evidenced by Solomon Northup’s description of life as a slave in Twelve Years a Slave. A disparity between upper class industrialists and land owners and lower class slaves and small-time farmers was formed due to the demand for cotton (Sengupta 5). Industry was prevalent in the North, which made transportation of cotton much easier. Cotton was able to thrive in cities with industry, and so the lower class, the ones who labored in the fields,