Introduction
Before 1793 in America, cotton was not seen as a profitable crop since it was extremely difficult to remove the seeds from the fibers, a long process that had to be done by hand. Eventually, a man named Eli Whitney came along and invented the Cotton Gin, a machine that would have a great impact on America in many aspects. With the Cotton Gin, cotton could be refined quickly and in large amounts, making America the world’s leading producer of cotton, but unfortunately increasing the profitability of slave labor again in America’s economy. The Cotton Gin was a turning point in history because it gave America one of its greatest resources in large numbers and brought on the birth of mass production in America.
Photograph of a Cotton Gin