Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin: A Brief Summary

In 1794, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Cotton gin is a machine that speeds up the process of removing seeds from cotton. In the mid 19th century, cotton had become America’s leading export. The cotton gin had made Eli little money due to the patent. It also had a justification for southerners to expand slavery even though Americans supported its abolition. Eli Whitney was born on December 8, 1765, in Wesborough, Mssachusetts. Just like Eli, his father was a farmer and a talented mechanic and inventor. After graduation from Yale, he headed down south. He planned on being a private tutor but instead he accepted an invitation to stay with Catherine Greene. While he was there, he learned about cotton. In many different ways,