Final answer:
The invention of the cotton gin greatly increased Mississippi's cotton production, leading to increased demand for slave labor and reinforcing the entrenchment of slavery in the Southern economy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney significantly changed Mississippi's economy by greatly increasing crop production in the state. By efficiently separating cotton seeds from the fibers, the gin allowed for faster processing of short staple cotton, which was more difficult to clean by hand and led to a dominant position in the market. This mechanization resulted in a dramatic expansion of cotton cultivation in Mississippi, facilitated by the availability of land following the Indian Removal Act, and the exploitation of enslaved labor increased as growing cotton became very profitable.
Slave labor became even more in demand as the production of cotton soared, contradicting the notion that the cotton gin reduced the need for such labor. In fact, as the cotton industry grew, the domestic slave trade also amplified, leading to the further entrenchment of slavery in the Southern economy.
The wealth generated from the enhanced production of cotton through the use of the cotton gin and enslaved labor fundamentally shaped the culture and society of Mississippi, embedding the institution of slavery even deeper into the fabric of the Southern United States.