Final answer:
The cotton gin increased the demand for enslaved labor, leading to a significant surge in the slave trade as the profitability of cotton farming grew and plantations expanded. option B is correct
Step-by-step explanation:
The development of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney had a profound impact on the trade in enslaved people within the United States. The correct answer to how the cotton gin influenced the expansion of trade in enslaved peoples is B) The cotton gin increased the demand for enslaved labor, resulting in a surge in the slave trade. Evidence from provided timelines and texts indicates that the cotton gin made the production of short staple cotton profitable by rapidly removing seeds from the cotton fibers, which previously was a slow and labor-intensive process.
As cotton production increased, from around 73,000 bales in 1800 to 730,000 bales by 1820, and the U.S. ultimately producing roughly 68 percent of the world's cotton by mid-century, there was a significant increase in the demand for enslaved labor to cultivate and harvest this hugely profitable crop. Consequently, the cotton gin indirectly contributed to a growing economy based on slave labor, as plantation owners expanded their operations to meet the rising demand for cotton in both domestic and international markets.
Despite Eli Whitney's hopes that his invention would render slavery obsolete, in reality, it had the opposite effect. The profitability of cotton spurred the expansion of slavery, including the creation of new slave states and a surge in the domestic slave trade, perpetuating a system of forced labor until the Civil War. option B is correct