It's ironic that the creation of a labor saving device such as the cotton gin would lead to such an explosion in the use of slave labor in the south. However, before Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1794, the separation of cotton by hand was labor intensive and unprofitable. The invention of this device led to cotton becoming the major cash crop in the south and perpetuating the plantation system. Learn more:
- The Cotton Gin in American History
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