Cotton Gin Dbq

The United States has an extensive history part of which can be told through its technology. Inventions were continuously made to improve the lives of Americans. Though these inventions were created with positive intent they do have their negative effects as well. Two examples of these technologies are the cotton gin and the railroad. The cotton gin was invented in the year 1793 by Eli Whitney. Originally workers had to remove the seeds from cotton by hand which took a long time. This new technology made the process faster and easier by mechanically removing the seeds from cotton (doc 1). As you would expect, with the process being faster, cotton production rose. In 1800, 73,000 bales of cotton were produced and by 1860 that number grew to 3,841,000 bales; over half of U.S. exports that year were cotton (doc 2). With such a high profit margin, cotton had a very …show more content…
Southern life was being affected. The growth of cities and industries slowed do to the price of slaves and land (doc3b). With such a high demand of cotton slave labor greatly increased. Planters, making such a great profit, bought more land making the slaves work endless. Though the slaves no longer had to deseed the cotton, greater numbers were needed to work the plantations to grow and pick it. Slave states increased from six to fifteen between the years 1790 and 1860 (doc3a). The cotton gin had a very negative effect on the growth of slavery. Traveling at speeds of 10-20 miles per hour, it’s easy to see why the rail road had such a positive impact on American lives. This transportation method was faster than canals and cheaper than wagons and stagecoaches (doc 4). Railroads created a more interconnected society. The entire nation was joined with 1776 miles of track. Railroads created a huge domestic market for raw materials and manufactured goods. It allowed people to get produce and meats from different parts of the