Final answer:
The cotton gin increased the demand for and production of cotton, which intensified the reliance on slave labor in the South, widening the economic and ideological divides between the North and South, and contributing to the tensions that led to the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
How the Cotton Gin Influenced the Civil War
The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1794 was a turning point for the American South and ultimately had a profound impact on the lead-up to the Civil War. The cotton gin greatly increased the efficiency of cotton production, especially for the short staple cotton that could be grown inland away from the coastal regions where the more easily processed long staple cotton was grown. This invention caused a significant upsurge in cotton demand and production, leading to substantial economic growth in the South.
Unfortunately, rather than making slavery obsolete as Whitney had hoped, the cotton gin actually intensified the demand for slave labor. This was because the Southern economy became even more heavily reliant on cotton production, which required large amounts of cheap labor to plant, tend, and pick the cotton. As cotton became the South's dominant crop, surpassing tobacco, rice, and sugar in economic importance, slavery became even more entrenched. By 1860, the South produced two-thirds of the world's cotton, much of it destined for Great Britain's industrial mills and also for mills in the North, tightly weaving the institution of slavery into the fabric of the Southern economy.
This economic boon for the South created a stark contrast with the North, which was rapidly industrializing and did not depend on slavery for its economic success. The result was a growing ideological divide that was inflamed by disputes over the expansion of slavery into new territories and states. Ultimately, this division would lead to the Civil War as the South sought to protect and perpetuate an economic system that relied on slavery, while the North increasingly opposed its expansion and existence.
In sum, the correct answer to the student's question is: It increased the demand for cotton, leading to an increase in slavery and tensions between the North and the South.