A History of Eli Whitney's Invention of Cotton Gin

Eli Whitney was born on December 8th, 1765 in the town of Westborough, Massachusetts (Eli Whitney Biography Inventor (1765-1825)). He was educated at Yale university and went on to become creator of the Cotton Gin (Eli Whitney Biography Inventor (1765-1825)). The famous Cotton Gin was an invention that allowed a single worker the ability to separate up to 25 kg of cotton daily, an accomplishment that normally required several workers (Eli Whitney).

As this invention became infamous throughout the nation, slavery was reinvigorated.

Many farmers began to use the cotton gin and as a result plantations were extended and more laborers were hired. These laborers were found in the form of African-American slaves that had been imported through the triangular trades(Eli Whitney). It is because of the demand for labor brought on by the invention of the cotton gin that Eli Whitney can be held indirectly responsible for the continuation of slavery.

Eli Whitney’s invention caused a spike in cotton production which, in return, caused a spike in slave numbers (Civil War History: How the Cotton Gin Contributed to the Civil War).

Before the invention of the Cotton Gin, slavery had been on decline. There was not as much need for slave labor as there had been in the past.

In fact, some slaveholders even gave away their slaves because they were no longer needed. But the invention of the cotton gin changed everything. Before the cotton gin, approximately 750,000 bales of cotton were produced per year. After the cotton gin, cotton production rocketed to a staggering 2.

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85 million bales (Civil War History: How the Cotton Gin Contributed to the Civil War). With more cotton came more cotton plantations and more slaves to work those plantations. The current decline in slavery was reverse by Eli Whitney’s invention of the Cotton Gin.

One could also argue that Eli Whitney is not indirectly or directly responsible for the growth in slavery, but rather that he was the most easy to place blame on. Whitney was faced with many hardships will attempting to patent his invention. In fact, after considering all available option, he and his business partner decided that instead of patenting the invention, they would make as many Cotton Gins as they could and simply allow farmers to use them for a small fee (Joan Brodsky Schur).

These Cotton Gins were installed all throughout Georgia and the rest of the south and called for two-fifths of the resulting cotton (Joan Brodsky Schur). Had the gin stayed at it’s original popularity, it is possible that slavery would not have rocketed. It is not Whitney’s fault for inventing the machine, but rather the popularity it gained because of the public.

Some may claim that Eli Whitney, inventor of the Cotton Gin is responsible for the astounding growth in slavery between the late 1700s and his invention of the gin in the early 1800s. Whitney’s invention resulted on the rejuvenation of a steadily declining slave trade and expansion of many cotton plantation Others may claim that it cannot be Whitney’s fault, as he did not know the effects him invention would have on society, but instead was only looking to gain money and instead for fame. In these ways, Eli Whitney could be considered responsible or irresponsible for the growth in slavery circa the 1800s.