USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 had a profound effect on the institution of slavery in the Southern states. By making it easier to pick the seeds from the cotton, the cotton gin made cotton a profitable cash crop for South Carolina planters.

Detailed explanation-2: -In 1794, U.S.-born inventor Eli Whitney (1765-1825) patented the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. By the mid-19th century, cotton had become America’s leading export.

Detailed explanation-3: -Between 1870 and 1920, cotton was grown on as many as 48 million acres and was the only major cash crop in the South.

Detailed explanation-4: -After the invention of the cotton gin, the yield of raw cotton doubled each decade after 1800.

Detailed explanation-5: -However, following the War of 1812, a huge increase in production resulted in the so-called cotton boom, and by midcentury, cotton became the key cash crop (a crop grown to sell rather than for the farmer’s sole use) of the southern economy and the most important American commodity.