The Historical Agency: Eli Whitney

Within ten days Eli Whitney was already starting his first attempt to invent a machine to help this problem. Whitney failed the first try but tried a second time and succeeded. Therefore, the creation of the cotton gin developed.

In 1793 the cotton industry bloomed because of Eli Whitney when he invented the cotton gin. With the invention of the cotton gin, cotton became a tremendously profitable industry, creating many fortunes for white plantation owners in the antebellum South. “American inventor Eli Whitney and his cotton gin improved the cleaning of raw cotton, facilitating the continuing growth of the industry in many locales.” This proves that the cotton industry rose after the gin was invented. It is evident that Eli Whitney played a major part of the growth of the cotton industry. Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry.

In 1794, U.S. inventor Eli Whitney patented a machine that transformed the production of cotton by significantly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber called the cotton gin. By the middle of the 19th century cotton had become America’s leading export. This gave Sothern’s the rationalization to maintain and expand slavery despite large number of abolitionists in America. While the cotton gin made cotton processing easier, it facilitated planters in earning greater profits, resulting in larger cotton crops. This in turn increased slavery because it was the cheapest form of labor. As for the North, particularly New England, the cotton gin and cotton’s increase meant a steady supply of raw materials for its textile mills.

This leads into one of the most famous inventions to revolutionize a whole new way to manufacture cotton and make the product become a major role in America's economy, the cotton

Nelson used a product that allowed him to control when the freeze came, which was needed before the cotton could be picked. Scientific research developed a chemical product that had the same effect on cotton plants as a freeze would, allowing Nelson to pick the cotton when he wanted, instead of waiting for mother nature to cooperate.

Eli Whitney's machine was the first to clean short-staple cotton. His cotton engine consisted of spiked teeth mounted on a boxed revolving cylinder which, when turned by a crank, pulled the cotton fiber through small slotted openings so as to separate the seeds from the lint -- a rotating brush, operated via a belt and pulleys, removed the fibrous lint from the projecting spikes.

Phineas Miller and Mrs. Green urged Whitney to study the process in which the cotton was cleaned, and see if he could create some sort of machine to do this work faster and more efficiently. Whitney found that the process was actually pretty simplistic; one hand held the seed while the other hand sorted out the small strands of lint.

The cotton gin was created by Eli Whitney, who sent a letter to Thomas Jefferson asking for a patent on the product before it was produced. The cotton gin allowed for a faster production on cotton by cutting down the time it takes to clean the cotton. Jefferson replied to Whitney with a huge desire for the gin, showing how other slaves owners would also want one urgently. This cotton gin changed the world for slaves and slave owners. Since it cut down the time for cleaning the cotton, it made cotton production faster, which allowed slave owners to have more slaves picking cotton than cleaning it.

During the period between 1790 and 1850, the United States was rapidly changing. It was now a separate country with its own economy, laws, and government. The country was learning to live on its own, apart from England. There began to appear a rift between North and South. The North believing in the Puritan Merchant role model, and the South in the role model of the English Country Squire. The North traded with everyone, while the South traded primarily with England. The major crop in the South was tobacco, and because of the decline in the price of tobacco the slave trade was dying, just as those in the North hoped it would. Then came a man, and an invention, which changed the course of history. In 1792, Eli Whitney visited the

Untrained, inexperienced and reckless thrill-seekers, pushing the limits to satisfy their desire to “live on the edge”. On any given day, these adventurers can be found in nature’s most extreme environments, taking unnecessary risks that come with a high cost. Imagine, a man wants to summit Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in North America. He has no training, no experience, and no idea what he will encounter. Along the way he comes across a deep crevasse. Without regard, he attempts to cross the crevasse relying solely on his equipment that he barely knows how to use. As a result, he gets stuck in the crevasse and breaks his leg. Ultimately, a rescue crew has to come and save this man from his negligent actions. Who should pay for his

With Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cotton became very profitable. This machine was able to reduce the time it took to separate seeds from the cotton. However, at the same time the increase in the number of plantations willing to move from other crops to cotton meant the greater need for a large amount of cheap labor, i.e. slaves. Thus, the southern economy became a one crop economy, depending on cotton and therefore on slavery. On the other hand, the northern economy was based more on industry than agriculture. In fact, the northern industries were purchasing the raw cotton and turning it into finished goods. This disparity between the two set up a

It was an agricultural haven for cotton, but also an area of innovation and adaptation. The businesspersons that resided in the South consisted of Northern and Southern businessmen looking to make a name for themselves. Furthermore, in this pursuit for wealth and power they created innovations that forever changed America. The invention of the Cotton Gin by Eli Whitney created a chain of industrial, social, and economical events that made America the nation it is today. These men sought to make a better America, consequently some innovations led to the abuse of human life and liberty, but out of this pain, a stronger nation was born. The fire that was set by these visionaries, even if it was lit by greed, created a nation hungry for the pursuit of a better life and better

Because cotton was hard to deseed I made cotton easy to clean. Along with that I made parts that can be swapped, so it was easier to fix weapons. I’m Eli Whitney. I was born on December 8, 1765 in Westboro, Massachusetts. My early life was on a farm with a knack for machine technology. During the revolutionary war I created a machine to create nails.

     Eli Whitney created one of the first causes of the Civil. In 1793 Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin greatly increased the amount of cotton produced. The cotton gin cleaned the cotton by extracting the cottonseeds efficiently. In the 1800’s, 36,000 bales of cotton were exported, but

With the economic system, the south had a very hard time producing their main source “cotton and tobacco”. “Cotton became commercially significant in the 1790’s after the invention of a new cotton gin by Eli Whitney. (PG 314)” Let