Eli Whitney and the Cotton GinBY: MADALYN ISAAC

The Cotton Industry

Cotton is a very popular fabric for making clothing in the United States, and all over the world. It is light, comfortable, and easy to care for.

Cotton became widely used in the late 1700’s when agriculture in the southern states declined, and farmers believed that cotton would be a good cash crop that would boost the economy.

The Cotton Industry: Problems

But cotton wasn’t always easy to work with, and the U.S. had trouble keeping up with the demands of raw cotton because growing and processing the crop was difficult.

The problem with cotton was that it was full of seeds, tangled within its fibers.

1793 Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin

In 1793, an inventor named Eli Whitney developed a machine for removing cotton seeds in 1793. In spring Whitney perfected the machine so it would remove short-staple seeds from cotton. This machine was named the Cotton Gin.

The Cotton Gin: How it Works

The Cotton Gin is a very simple invention. First, the cotton balls are put into the top of the machine.

Next, the handle is turned which turns the cotton through the wire teeth that comb out the seeds.

Then the cotton is pulled out of the wire teeth and out of the cotton gin.

This leaves the cotton fluffy, and with no seeds remaining.

Effects of the Cotton Gin

The machine could do the work faster, better and could work 24 hours a day if needed. This negatively affected the lives of unskilled workers who were now unemployed and it created hardships for them and their families.

Eli Whitney invented a machine that made farmers much more successful and added greatly to the economy, but it took away the jobs that humans previously had.

Video of the Cotton Gin

The following video is of a volunteer at the Smithsonian Museum demonstrating how the Cotton Gin works.

Enjoy the video!