Brief Summary: Eli Whitney's Life And Education
Eli Whitney was born on a farm in Westboro, Massachusetts, on December 8, 1765. Whitney's Mother, Elizabeth Fay, died of a heart attack in the year 1777. At the age 14 Eli ran a nail manufacturing operation that ended up being very profitable. He had sold nails from his Dad’s workshop during the Revolutionary War. Because Eli’s stepmother didn’t support his wish to attend college, he worked as a farm laborer and a school teacher to save up money. Eli then prepared to go to Yale at Leicester Academy. Whitney was able to attend Yale thanks to Reverend Elizur Goodrich of Durham, Connecticut for being Eli Whitney’s guardian and letting his enter the class of 1789 and graduate Phi Beta Kappa in 1792. Eli wanted to study law once he had gotten out
of college but, he found himself short of funds, accepted an offer in South Carolina to be a private tutor. Whitney instead was convinced to go to Georgia by General Nathanael Greene’s widowed wife, Catherine Littlefield Greene, who was aboard the ship Eli was taking to South Carolina. Mrs. Greene then invited Whitney to visit her Georgia Plantation, Mulberry Grove. Mrs. Greene’s plantation manager and husband-to-be was a man by the name of Phineas Miller, he was also a Connecticut migrant and a Yale graduate. Phineas will become Eli’s business partner. As partners, Phineas and Whitney began to manufacture multiple cotton gins in New Haven, Connecticut. When the partners were unable to supply the cotton gins, the countries blacksmiths filled in the rest of the orders. A patent, which was later annulled, was granted on May 12, 1793, for spikes. Whitney had spent most of his time and money suing infringements of his patent, Finally in 1807 its validity was settled. Whitney, frustrated with the struggle, began to create firearms near New Haven in 1709 and later got his hands on some profitable government contracts.
of college but, he found himself short of funds, accepted an offer in South Carolina to be a private tutor. Whitney instead was convinced to go to Georgia by General Nathanael Greene’s widowed wife, Catherine Littlefield Greene, who was aboard the ship Eli was taking to South Carolina. Mrs. Greene then invited Whitney to visit her Georgia Plantation, Mulberry Grove. Mrs. Greene’s plantation manager and husband-to-be was a man by the name of Phineas Miller, he was also a Connecticut migrant and a Yale graduate. Phineas will become Eli’s business partner. As partners, Phineas and Whitney began to manufacture multiple cotton gins in New Haven, Connecticut. When the partners were unable to supply the cotton gins, the countries blacksmiths filled in the rest of the orders. A patent, which was later annulled, was granted on May 12, 1793, for spikes. Whitney had spent most of his time and money suing infringements of his patent, Finally in 1807 its validity was settled. Whitney, frustrated with the struggle, began to create firearms near New Haven in 1709 and later got his hands on some profitable government contracts.