Who was Eli Whitney?

Eli Whitney was an American-born inventor who was known for the invention of the cotton gin. The cotton gin made it easier to separate the seeds from short staple cotton. This invention had a tremendous impact on the growing of cotton and the expansion of slavery in the United States.
Before the cotton gin, it was more profitable to grow long staple cotton. It was easier to remove the seeds from long staple cotton than from short staple cotton. However, long staple could only be grown along the coast. Thus, there was a limited area where this cotton could be grown and where profits could be made. With the invention of the cotton gin, cotton could now be grown anywhere. This opened up much of the South to the growing of cotton. As more cotton was grown, more slaves were needed. Thus, slavery expanded as a result of the cotton gin. More money could also be made by growing cotton. Cotton was a major export of the South.
Eli Whitney is also connected with the concept of interchangeable parts. He believed production could be increased if identical parts could be used when manufacturing products. He used the interchangeable parts concept when he made muskets for the U.S. government.
Eli Whitney’s inventions and ideas had a significant impact on our country.
http://www.eliwhitney.org/7/museum/about-eli-whitney/inventor

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