Reference
- Cotton Gin: Credo ReferenceMachine that separates cotton fibres from the seed boll. Production of the gin (‘gin’ was an old term for ‘engine’) by US inventor Eli Whitney in 1793 was a milestone in textile history. Widespread use of the cotton gin strengthened the hold of the institution of slavery in the USA by making it economical for small farms to grow the crop, and bolstered the southern US agrarian economy.
Online Resources
- Dan Taylor proudly preserves cotton gin historyTextile companies and others involved in the cotton industry also count on [Dan Taylor] to show visitors - including foreign dignitaries - through his contemporary cotton gin. He uses a modern education center, in a room overlooking the gin floor, as the base for educational sessions. He shows visitors videotapes of the ginning process and displays cotton samples representing fibers right out of a module through the final, clean product ready for the mill.
- From fustian to merino: the rise of textiles using cotton before and after the ginCotton textiles slowly gained worldwide popularity as cotton fibers were used in conjunction with wool, flax and other cloths. Cotton is not a native crop to Europe and cannot easily be grown there. However, cotton fiber that was initially spun with other fibers was eventuually used for entire garments. Its comfort and durability facilitated its popularity, and advances in ginning made it more economical.
- Making a business of it: the evolution of southern cotton gin patenting, 1831-1890Cotton gin patents proliferated in the 19th century Southern states but did not lead to greater developments in machinery and industrialization. Gin manufacturers and developers were widely dispersed throughout the South and served primarily local clients. Conversely, industrial manufacturers in the North and the Midwest centralized production and captured large customer bases through a mobile sales force. The lack of broad-based industrialization in the South is probably attributable to its poorer infrastructure.
Perspectives
Eli Whitney and the Industrial Revolution
Eli Whitney is remembered as a great inventor. His cotton gin was one of the most important inventions of the Industrial Revolution, and it did much to shape the course of the American economy. This biographical title explores Whitney's entrepreneurial mind, bringing to life his inventions, innovations, and hardworking spirit. Through accessible language and detailed images, this curriculum-focused title provides an in-depth look at the Industrial Revolution, Whitney's role in it, and how together they helped shape a growing nation. A timeline and primary sources complete a comprehensive learning experience.
Ginning cotton
Describes the importance of the ginning process, and the means for ginning the highest quality cotton.
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney changed manufacturing with the cotton gin and helped make improvements in the area of mass production through interchangeable parts. Readers will see how Whitney also drastically changed farming in America with his inventions.
Streaming Media
- The Cotton GinIn this video, we'll explain the story of the infamous, cotton gin - an 18th century invention used by African-American slaves that changed the United States for the better and the worse.
- Cotton RevolutionThe 19th century American south was dependant on "king cotton." Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793. Cotton harvesting was finally mechanized in 1942.
- The Growth and Spread of SlaveryStarting with a set of slave shackles, chart the history of slavery in the Americas. Discover how the invention of the cotton gin helped expand slave labor. Then follow the story of African-American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, as told through some of her treasured personal belongings.