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Some techonological advancements change the course of history. Eli Whitney's cotton gin led to an increase in demand for slaves and plantations, which led to Southern plantation owners investing in human resources (slaves) instead of capital resources (factories). The North bought cotton from the South and invested their money into textile mills, canals, steamboats, and railroads to transport their goods. This activity is a simplistic representation of the cause and effects of the cotton gin.
Studying the cotton gin is an effective way to teach cause and effect.
Eli Whitney was an entrepreneur looking to make a profit. Before the Constitution was written an inventor might have his/her invention stolen and not be able to make money on the invention. In Article I, section 8, the U.S. Constitution gives inventors exclusive rights to their discoveries for a limited time by granting a patent.
The cotton gin made picking the sticky seeds out of the cotton boll by hand obsolete. Cotton had always been easy to grow but was so hard to clean that it wasn't a desirable option. After the cotton gin became available, cotton became the top cash crop in the South. Since the ease of producing cotton increased supply, the prices lowered and demand increased.
Cotton manufacturing in the North increased and so did the demand for cotton. The South started investing all its resources into the planting, growing, and harvesting of cotton. American Indians were removed from their land which opened up more land to grow cotton. Plantation owners began making vast fortunes by raising cotton with slave labor.
Point out that the cotton gin didn't cause slavery, it increased the use of slaves. Also it is important to make the distinction that Eli Whitney may or may not have been the inventor of the cotton gin, but most likely he was the innovator that took an invention and changed it to have economic value.
As cotton production increased, so did the need for slaves and land. Money was flowing in for cotton growers if they had enough land. Small farms decreased and the use of plantations started in areas with land available. Indian relocation became one of the solutions for land availability.
To the extent possible under law, Mickey Ebert has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to "Unintended Consequences of the Cotton Gin".
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