Cotton gin

A cotton gin

Cotton ball with seed

A cotton gin, or a cotton engine is a machine that pulls cotton fibers away from the cotton seeds. The modern cotton gin was invented by the American inventor Eli Whitney.It is significant in American history because after its invention, Southerners began growing much more cotton and so they needed more slaves to work on their cotton plantations. Instead of disappearing, slavery became even more important to the Southern economy.

Cotton Gin Media

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  Eli Whitney's original cotton gin patent, dated March 14, 1794

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  The diesel-powered gin in Burton, Texas is one of the oldest in the United States that still functions.

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  Cotton gin at Jarrell Plantation

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  An 1896 advertisement for the Lummus cotton gin

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  Diagram of a modern cotton gin plant, displaying numerous stages of production

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  Cotton jins sorting cotton and cleaning