“…he can make anything…”

Basic Biographical Data

• 1765 - Born in Westborough, MA • 1792 - Graduated from Yale University• 1793 – invented the cotton gin• 1798 – built a musket factory using the

concept of interchangeable parts and a simple assembly line process

• 1825 – died in Connecticut

Why is Whitney Important?

• On trip to SC plantation, EW noticed slaves working hard

• 1793 – invented the cotton gin • to help slaves clean cotton faster and easier• to improve productivity • to increase profits for plantation

The Cotton Gin

Raw cotton goes in

Roller combs rip

cotton fibers apart

Seeds fall to the

bottom

Clean cotton collects

here

Hand crank to turn the

roller combs

Productivity Before the Cotton Gin

Productivity After the Cotton Gin

50

The Rest of the Story…

• EW had a patent for his invention…but…• The cotton gin was easy to

duplicate• Farmers made their own machines• EW and his lawyers spent

years traveling the South suing and losing…

• Increased use of slaves on plantations

Interchangeable Parts

Product made the same way each time

Identical parts in

each product

Workers specialize

in their one task

Broken parts are easy to replace

Life Before Whitney’s Inventions• Slaves had to clean

cotton by hand… slow and painful work…expensive

• Muskets and pistols were custom made…one at a time…expensive

Whitney’s Inventions Change Life

• Introduced the concept of mass production to American business

• Saved businesses time and money

• Increased productivity of slaves on plantations and factory workers

• Increased profits

Long-term Effects in the South

• Increased settlement of western lands

• Increased production of cotton

• Increased need for slaves to work the cotton fields

• Increased desire to remove Indians from prime land

Long-term Effects in the North

• Development of the textile industry

• Increased need for factory workers

• Growth of cities• Increased trade with

European countries

Bibliography

Eli Whitney: The Inventor. <http://www.eliwhitney.org/new/museum/about-eli-whitney/inventor>.

Hall of Fame: Inventor Profile. <http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/152.html >. 2002.

Photo Credits

https://cascience6.wikispaces.com/file/view/whitney.jpg/31208319/whitney.jpg

http://image.volunteersolutions.org/images/cache/000/010/244/509/10244509488.gif

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VxbpoAZrMXE/SvfU9qa6VsI/AAAAAAAAAd8/Isgu8iFv6_M/s320/cotton_gin.jpg