Historical1794
Eli Whitney Patents the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney received a patent for the cotton gin, a machine that rapidly separated cotton fibers from seeds. While it revolutionized cotton production, the invention dramatically increased demand for enslaved labor across the American South.
Why It Matters
The cotton gin illustrates how technological innovation can have profound and unintended civic consequences, as it entrenched the institution of slavery and deepened the economic divide that led to the Civil War.