The Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793, revolutionizing cotton production and molding the South in to a whole new animal, King Cotton. Before Whitney’s cotton gin, the cotton fiber and seeds had to be separated by hand, a very tedious and time-consuming task. The sheer manpower required for this task made cotton very low profit, and not many people grew it. The cotton gin automatically separates the seeds and fiber in a much faster and more effective manor, expediting cotton production and making it a viable cash crop. A single device could handle more than 50 times the amount of cotton per day than a person ("King Cotton"). No one expected what would follow this invention.
The South’s economy was transformed by the onset of profitable cotton. It quickly became the most profitable commodity, giving rise to a boom in slavery (more slaves needed to grow the cotton now that the gin could do separate it) and cotton exports. According to statistics from (Bellis "Cotton")), in the year before the cotton gin, 1792, America exported 140,000 pounds of cotton. The year after the cotton gin, that number rose to half a million, and the year following that the cotton exports rose to 6 million pounds. That is a 4300% increase over two years. By 1845, America was producing over 87% of the world’s cotton. The term “King Cotton” was coined to describe the South, seeing as they dominated the world’s exports of cotton. This was a cornerstone of the Confederate’s stance against the Union in the Civil War.
The South’s economy was transformed by the onset of profitable cotton. It quickly became the most profitable commodity, giving rise to a boom in slavery (more slaves needed to grow the cotton now that the gin could do separate it) and cotton exports. According to statistics from (Bellis "Cotton")), in the year before the cotton gin, 1792, America exported 140,000 pounds of cotton. The year after the cotton gin, that number rose to half a million, and the year following that the cotton exports rose to 6 million pounds. That is a 4300% increase over two years. By 1845, America was producing over 87% of the world’s cotton. The term “King Cotton” was coined to describe the South, seeing as they dominated the world’s exports of cotton. This was a cornerstone of the Confederate’s stance against the Union in the Civil War.
Sources:
King Cotton and the Cotton Gin. King Cotton and the Cotton Gin. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories/story/king_cotton_and_the_cotton_gin
Bellis, M. The Cotton Gin - Eli Whitney. About.com Inventors. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/cotton_gin.htm
King Cotton and the Cotton Gin. King Cotton and the Cotton Gin. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories/story/king_cotton_and_the_cotton_gin
Bellis, M. The Cotton Gin - Eli Whitney. About.com Inventors. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/cotton_gin.htm