Cotton Gin in America

Paper Summary:

Perhaps as much as any other technology in American history, the cotton gin shaped the nation's economic, social, and political development. The paper shows that, although many people associate the cotton gin with only the South, its importance to the nation's other regions is evident. It describes how Eli Whitney's creation brought about not only an explosion in Southern cotton production but also led to the expansion of racial slavery throughout the region.

From the Paper:

"A major impact upon the economy was the country's sudden dependence upon cotton production. As a result of the cotton gin, many communities were forced, without prior notice, to depend on the price and abundance of a single crop (202). When the cotton industry was down, so was the economy of these communities. When the cotton industry was up, farmers rushed to turn a profit and often overproduced the crop. As a result, the economy would falter when the price of cotton would drop."

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