Final answer:
Eli Whitney, an American inventor, invented the cotton gin in 1794. The cotton gin greatly increased the speed and efficiency of cotton production, allowing for the mass production of cotton and helping to propel the American South into world leadership in the cotton market.
Step-by-step explanation:
Eli Whitney, an American inventor, invented the cotton gin in 1794. The cotton gin was a machine that removed the seeds from cotton after it was picked. Its significance was that it greatly increased the speed and efficiency of cotton production, allowing for the mass production of cotton and helping to propel the American South into world leadership in the cotton market.