USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The most significant effect of the cotton gin, however, was the growth of slavery. While it was true that the cotton gin reduced the labor of removing seeds, it did not reduce the need for enslaved labor to grow and pick the cotton.

Detailed explanation-2: -Whitney believed that his cotton gin would reduce the need for enslaved labor and would help hasten the end of southern slavery. Paradoxically, the cotton gin, a labor-saving device, helped preserve and prolong slavery in the United States for another 70 years.

Detailed explanation-3: -The gin improved the separation of the seeds and fibers but the cotton still needed to be picked by hand. The demand for cotton roughly doubled each decade following Whitney’s invention. So cotton became a very profitable crop that also demanded a growing slave-labor force to harvest it.

Detailed explanation-4: -The cotton gin made the cotton industry of the South explode. Before its invention, separating cotton fibers from its seeds was a labor-intensive and unprofitable venture. After Whitney unveiled his cotton gin, processing cotton became much easier, resulting in greater availability and cheaper cloth.