Eli whitney, a native of massachusetts, secured a patent on the cotton gin in 1793, though patent office records indicate that the first cotton gin may have been built by a machinist named. The industrial revolution in england and the invention of the cotton gin in the u. The story of cotton national cotton council of america. How much of an impact the gin which is short for engine had on the retention of slavery in the south is still being debated. To convert mechanically harvested cotton in to a salable product, gins of today have to dry and clean the seed cotton, separate the fiber from the seed, further clean the fibres and place the fibres in to an acceptable package for commerce. The main impact of the invention of the cotton gin in 1793. On june 20, 1793, eli whitney, who had graduated from yale the previous year, wrote to secretary of state thomas jefferson, requesting a patent for his new invention, the cotton gin. If possible, it should have police and organized fire protection. The growth of industry modern factory system begins, 1750. Osha requirements for guards in cotton gins are summarized in this book in. The lowell strikes 1834, strike for better wages lowell press and clergy critical girls return to work 1836, strike again board charges increase 12. The cotton gin enabled one worker to clean cotton as fast as 50 people working by hand. Griffin, jr 105 fire prevention considerations, by j. The cotton gin, a mechanical device which removes the seeds from cotton was.
The cotton gin is a machine that separates cotton seeds from cotton fiber. Cotton gin in 1793 transforms cotton production owning slaves was a sign of higher status southern plantation aristocratic class majority of southerners did not own slaves, yet supported slavery code of chivalry strong sense of honor amongst southerners as northerners become critical of slavery and slave. He is most known for inventing the cotton gin, a machine that cleans cotton of its seeds powered by water, animals, or humans. The cotton gin which was invented by eli whitney in 1793 was a revolutionary machine. Thomas jefferson to eli whitney, november 16, 1793. Prior to the cotton gins invention, workers had to. Tells the story of how eli whitney invented the cotto. Of these methods, manual harvesting of seed cotton. Eli whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793 or 1794. Miscellaneous considerations 105 fuel value of gin wastes, by anselm c. Also contributed to the concept of interchangeable parts that were exactly alike and easily assembled or exchanged. The cotton gin was a wooden drum stuck with hooks which pulled the cotton fibres through a mesh. Apr 06, 2017 the development of the cotton gin is a very intense point of american history and needs to be mastered to understand the slave, cotton era, the production industries of the north, why the rapid political and economic transition from the south to the north.
The cotton gin the eli whitney museum and workshop. Students debate who invented the cotton gin after reading the student essay why a plantation. Either way, this would be a huge step in making the connection of how huge the cotton gin was in the. The cotton gin changed the entire cotton growing industry. Analyze the effect the invention of the cotton gin had on the deep. Whitneys gin used a combination of a wire screen and small wire hooks to pull the cotton through, while brushes continuously removed the loose cotton lint to prevent jams. In 1793, whitney invented and submitted a patent for the cotton gina machine that used rotating brushes and teeth to remove seeds from cotton fiber. Before the invention of the cotton gin, in 1793, the process was extremely laborintensive. The cotton gin separated the seeds from the lint, which was baled and sold. Eli whitney cotton gin for kids george washington was the 1st american president who served in office from april 30, 1789 to march 4, 1797.
The invention of the cotton gin, a device that separates cotton fibers from the seeds, is. The cotton gin is a device for removing the seeds from cotton fiber. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Machine and myth in antebellum america johns hopkins studies in the history of technology revised edition by angela lakwete author visit amazons angela lakwete page. The cotton gin is an example of an invention directly called forth by an immediate demand. Eli whitney went into business with phineas miller. It was an invention created to reduce work and make cotton production quicker cotton gin. The development of the cotton gin is a very intense point of american history and needs to be mastered to understand the slave, cotton era, the production industries of the north, why the rapid political and economic transition from the south to the north. Originally, whitney and miller planned to ask for the profits, and not sell any machinesgins. Cotton production chart retrieved from the american journey book. In 1790 congress passed a patent law to protect the rights of those who developed. Cotton gin background cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant.
Cotton gin, machine for cleaning cotton of its seeds, invented in the united states by eli whitney in 1793. While it was true that the cotton gin reduced the labor of removing seeds, it did not reduce the need for slaves to grow and pick the cotton. The separated seeds may be used to grow more cotton or to. He applied for a patent in patent granted the cotton gin is a machine that sped up the process of cotton production by reducing the time taken to remove cotton seeds from cotton fibre. The cotton seeds would not fit through the mesh and fell outside. The cotton gin developed by eli whitney in 1793 marked a major turning point in the economic history of the southern united states. Seed production, harvesting, and ginning of cotton wiley online. Tells the story of how eli whitney invented the cotton gin, and the effects it had on the southern united states.
A cotton gin meaning cotton engine is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation. The mechanical cotton picker, black migration, and how they. Prior to this time, the major commodities produced and exported by the south were tobacco and rice. The most significant of these was the growth of slavery. The cotton gin was invented in 1793 by eli whitney to clean cotton fibers from the seeds cotton gin. It is credited with fixing cotton cultivation, virtually to the exclusion of other crops, in the u.
The phmt should have access to good roads, powerlines, and potable water. The cotton gin made cotton tremendously profitable, which encouraged westward migration to new areas of the us south to grow more cotton. Eli whitney was the inventor of the cotton gin and a pioneer in the mass production of cotton. A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates the cotton fibres from the seeds.
After eli whitney unveiled his cotton gin, processing cotton became much easier, resulting in greater availability and cheaper cloth. Also, if the gin is in a town or village, it should be located where the prevailing avinds will move dust. The cotton gin was an important invention because it dramatically reduced the amount of time it took to separate cotton seeds from cotton fiber. The patent act of 1793 gave the secretary of state the power to issue a patent to. Handbook for cotton ginners seed cotton as may be required by harvesting prac tices. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 history essay. For most of the 1700 s, americans had lacked cotton, despite the fact that they had waterways for transport and the ability to construct textile factories. Indeed the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 followed by only four years the establishment of the government. Cotton had been made easier to clean and as it grew so easily it became the number one cash crop in the south. Cotton is an important fiber crop grown under varying climatic conditions in more than. Sep 17, 2009 the cotton gin made possible the widespread cultivation of cotton which transformed the south and kept the worlds cotton factories busy for decades. Lakwete targets this myth in inventing the cotton gin and largely demolishes it. With the gin short for engine, raw cotton could be quickly cleaned.
Eli whitney and the cotton gin by jessica gunderson. Cotton was first spun by machinery in england in 1730. While there are claims that similar machines had been invented prior to whitneys gin, there is no firm. The cotton gin is a machine that is used to pull cotton fibers from the cotton seed. Jan 21, 2015 the invention of the cotton gin 1793 coach kouba. Sep 23, 2016 eli whitneys patent for the cotton gin background eli whitney and the need for an invention. Greene was struggling to make her plantation profitable.
Those similar to number one but using pushpull fans and having. It caused great reduction in the time it took to clean cotton. The machine had spiked teeth on a boxed revolving cylinder to pick the seeds. There, whitney learned that southern planters were eager to make cotton a profitable crop. The invention of the cotton gin and its historic impact.
Analyze how the invention of the cotton gin impacted the deep south. In 1793 eli whitney of massachusetts invented thecotton gin,a simple machine that quickly and efficiently removed the seeds from the cotton fiber. What were some important effects of the invention of the. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Similar to todays massive machines, whitneys cotton gin used hooks to draw unprocessed cotton through a smallmesh screen that separated the fiber from seeds and husks. On this day in 1793, young inventor eli whitney had his u. Cotton south quotations rausser college of natural resources. The number of enslaved people rose with the increase. Before its invention, separating cotton fibers from its seeds was a laborintensive and unprofitable venture. A modern mechanical cotton gin was created by american inventor eli whitney in 1793 and patented in 1794.
As eli whitney left new england and headed south in 1792, he had no idea that within the next seven months he would invent a machine that would profoundly alter the course of american history. Cotton growing became so profitable for the planters that it greatly increased their demand for both land and slave. Cotton gin 1793 king cotton slavery explodes southern capital tied up in slaves. Eli whitney, a native of massachusetts, secured a patent on the cotton gin in 1793, though patent. In 1792, recent college graduate eli whitney moved to georgia to work as a tutor on a plantation. Resulted in more cotton production and more slaves are needed for more acres of cotton fields. The civil war was inevitable, only however, after one key event. For a century and a half cotton farming dominated the southern united states. Whitneys cotton gin patent not worth much the cotton gin was the little engine that could and did transform the economy of the south and change the course of american history. Once cotton was picked from the field, seeds had to be removed from the cotton fiber by hand before cotton could be sold.
This created a higher need for slaves in the south and in 18201830 slave revolts, strikes and protest were at an alltime high. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 led to an increase. The seeds are sticky and sometimes difficult to separate from the cotton fiber. But todays modern cotton gin is required to do much more. After the cotton gin was produced by eli whitney in 1793, cotton became the most produced material in the 1800s.
The south became the cotton producing part of the country because whitneys cotton gin was able to successfully pull out the seeds from the cotton balls. Baker 101 effects of gin machinery on cotton quality, by anselm c. The gin made cotton cultivation more profitable, revitalizing the southern economy and increasing the importance of slavery in the south. More information on adobe acrobat pdf files is available on our accessibility page. Ely whitney was born on december 8, 1767 in massachusetts. The cotton gin made the cotton industry of the south explode.
The cotton gin made possible the widespread cultivation of cotton which transformed the south and kept the worlds cotton factories busy for decades. How much did the cotton gin cost in 1793, when it was. The cotton g in was an invention created by eli whitney. Essay the movement of the cotton gin by eli whitney. Eli whitneys patent for the cotton gin national archives. This invention was a quicker alternative to picking seed out of cotton by hand. Although whitney patented his invention in 1793, it was copied by a lot of people due to its simplicity. The fibers are then processed into various cotton goods such as calico, while any undamaged cotton is used largely for textiles like clothing. At that time, whitney was in the employ of catherine greene, the widow of general nathaniel greene. The americans chapter 7 wayne county public schools. Longstaple cotton, which was easy to separate from its seeds, could be grown only along the coast. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 was the key element which enabled the south to have sufficient vested interest in their traditional lifestyle in order to feel the need to defend it at all costs even from their northern countrymen.