Question

Explain the effect of the cotton gin on African Americans and Southern Plantation owners

Answer 1

The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney allowed the farming of cotton to become more efficient and profitable. This led to an increased demand for slaves to work on the new cotton plantations in the South.

Answer 2

The correct answer is the following.

The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793, helped to improve the production of cotton but did not diminish the workload on slaves. To the opposite, more slaves were needed when the owners of the southern plantations realized that with the cotton gin the could produce more, which meant more cotton to trade and export. The cotton gin resulted in a more efficiently and effectively process to produce gin and the demand for African American slaves increased. This did not represent any form of advantage for slaves such as better working conditions or better wages. It just resulted in benefits for landlords and their profitable business.