Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin is one of the most controversial inventions of all time, attributed to being a reason for the American Civil War and the increase in Slavery of the American South. Eli Whitney certainly never foreseen the controversy and it may have been a desire of his for a completely different outcome. Whitney poured years of study and trial and error into his invention and the quality of his product was illustrated well in his hard work. Yet the years of work and far superior quality of his cotton gin never made him rich, in fact it may have been this reason and this reason only why slavery was not reduced. Whitney delivered a superior cotton gin to the public, one that would have eliminated a portion of the demand for slave labor, even as the damand for cotton increased.
The controversy regarding Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin and theory "increasing the demand for slavery" is the root. The theory that his cotton gin somehow lead to the start of the American Civil War empties the responsibility of the men of the time for their own actions. Also the failure of Whitney to become rich from his superior design was the direct result of plantation owners refusing to purchase his invention and instead relying on inferior models that needed more operators, "slaves". Yet the greatest misunderstanding of the Gin and its place in the Cotton Production Process is that people fail to understand that the ginning procedure is separate from the growing, and manufacturing processes. People all to eagerly throw the gin process together with growing and manufacturing as if they were one and the same, however if separated into the different processes and the amount of slavery pinned to the precise process you will find how the Whitney Gin would have lowered slavery in one section of the slave market, "the gin operators".
First: How Does the Cotton Gin Work?
The cotton gin is designed to separate cotton fibers from seedpods and sticky seeds. In other words the cotton gin mechanically cleans the cotton, a tedious and time consuming process previously done by hand, by slave hands. The process of separation is achieved by the use of wire screens and wire hooks that gently pull the cotton fibers through the screen. As the cotton fibers are pulled through the screen, brushes clean the screen continuously in an effort to remove the cotton lint and prevent jams.
The cotton gin is designed to separate cotton fibers from seedpods and sticky seeds. In other words the cotton gin mechanically cleans the cotton, a tedious and time consuming process previously done by hand, by slave hands. The process of separation is achieved by the use of wire screens and wire hooks that gently pull the cotton fibers through the screen. As the cotton fibers are pulled through the screen, brushes clean the screen continuously in an effort to remove the cotton lint and prevent jams.
Whitney's Cotton Gin was not the first!
Earlier versions of the cotton gin go back to before the fifth century A.D. Paintings of cotton gins depicting a single roller design were found in Ajanta Caves of western India. It is believed that these paintings were Buddhist and a depiction of the current model of the period. The single roller cotton gin has been found in Africa, Asia, and North America. Around the 13th century, the single roller cotton gin was replaced by dual roller units first appearing in India. By the 16th century many cotton gins in Europe, Africa, and Asia were being driven by hydro power.
Earlier versions of the cotton gin go back to before the fifth century A.D. Paintings of cotton gins depicting a single roller design were found in Ajanta Caves of western India. It is believed that these paintings were Buddhist and a depiction of the current model of the period. The single roller cotton gin has been found in Africa, Asia, and North America. Around the 13th century, the single roller cotton gin was replaced by dual roller units first appearing in India. By the 16th century many cotton gins in Europe, Africa, and Asia were being driven by hydro power.
Invention Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin
The modern cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney (1793), in America. On October 28, 1793 Whitney applied for a U.S Patent, which was granted on March 14th 1794. The design of Whitney's cotton gin was superior to any other design of the period. Whitney's Gin was capable of cleaning more than 50 pounds of lint a day. Another benefit of Whitney's design was the quality of the product. Previous versions of the cotton gin, including many still being used in the South relied heavily upon workers, "slaves" to physically remove any seedpods or sticky seeds even after the cotton had been through the inferior gins. It is this high quality that people attribute to the increase in the demand for slavery, simply because the market increased.
The notion that an invention, designed to eliminate the need for workers "slaves" is somehow the cause of the increase in slave labor is supported by a single piece of evidence "the enormous demand of cotton". Lets take a look at demand!
The Demand For Cotton
First it is fairly difficult to locate actual records of Cotton Production, that also incorporates yearly increases, but I did what I could. In 1791, the U.S Cotton Production was around 2 million pounds per year. By 1801, the annual production had increased to an estimated 48 million pounds. These two dates are highlighted in many history books because this ten year span marks the largest increase in cotton production in U.S History, about a fifty percent increase each year. The next date found in many history books is 1860, where cotton production had risen to around 1,650 million pounds. A substantial amount, however this number fails to point out that dramatic decrease in yearly market growth. For example from 1791 to 1801 the demand for cotton rose about fifty percent yearly. Yet from 1801 to 1860 the yearly increase for cotton demand dropped to around seven percent or less. Of course a seven percent yearly increase is still a substantial swell in the market, but hardly the fifty percent found just half a century earlier. It is also important to note that Eli Whitney's cotton gin was not even granted a patent until 1794. Therefore the dramatic increase in slavery during the decade of 1791 to 1801 can not be attributed as any connection to Whitney's Gin which was not even on the market until 1794.
First it is fairly difficult to locate actual records of Cotton Production, that also incorporates yearly increases, but I did what I could. In 1791, the U.S Cotton Production was around 2 million pounds per year. By 1801, the annual production had increased to an estimated 48 million pounds. These two dates are highlighted in many history books because this ten year span marks the largest increase in cotton production in U.S History, about a fifty percent increase each year. The next date found in many history books is 1860, where cotton production had risen to around 1,650 million pounds. A substantial amount, however this number fails to point out that dramatic decrease in yearly market growth. For example from 1791 to 1801 the demand for cotton rose about fifty percent yearly. Yet from 1801 to 1860 the yearly increase for cotton demand dropped to around seven percent or less. Of course a seven percent yearly increase is still a substantial swell in the market, but hardly the fifty percent found just half a century earlier. It is also important to note that Eli Whitney's cotton gin was not even granted a patent until 1794. Therefore the dramatic increase in slavery during the decade of 1791 to 1801 can not be attributed as any connection to Whitney's Gin which was not even on the market until 1794.
Knockoffs create demand for slavery not Whitney's Gin
After Whitney was granted a patent in 1794 he decided to mass produce his invention, which he thought every plantation in the south would want his superior machine. The design of Whitney's Gin meant a lot less "slavery" would be needed to physically clean the cotton, a process done up to that period by hand, and only by slave. In theory the advent of Whitney's design should have lessoned the demand for slavery, however cheap and inferior knockoffs were flooding the market. Many plantation owners refused to purchase Whitney's model, opting instead to construct their own. There is nothing wrong with a plantation owner creating their own device, the problem is the knockoffs still required many slaves to operate, and in many cases plantation owners through out the machines altogether and went right back to hand cleaning the cotton.
After Whitney was granted a patent in 1794 he decided to mass produce his invention, which he thought every plantation in the south would want his superior machine. The design of Whitney's Gin meant a lot less "slavery" would be needed to physically clean the cotton, a process done up to that period by hand, and only by slave. In theory the advent of Whitney's design should have lessoned the demand for slavery, however cheap and inferior knockoffs were flooding the market. Many plantation owners refused to purchase Whitney's model, opting instead to construct their own. There is nothing wrong with a plantation owner creating their own device, the problem is the knockoffs still required many slaves to operate, and in many cases plantation owners through out the machines altogether and went right back to hand cleaning the cotton.
Conclusion
Eli Whitney attempted to replace slave workers in the cotton clean process, but failed only because people refused to use his cotton gin. Eli Whitney never got rich from his invention, even though the demand during the release of his Cotton Gin rose fifty percent each year. Whitney's design was indeed superior to any other on the market, especially to any makeshift knockoff. The purpose of Whitney's design was to eliminate the need for hand-cleaning the cotton, and his invention would have done just that. Whitney's machine would have eliminated most hand cleaning, therefore decreased the need for slavery at the point in the process The problem is that plantation owners failed to purchase his invention and attempted to construct their own. The loss in sales was a lost chance at lowering one source of slave labor.
Eli Whitney attempted to replace slave workers in the cotton clean process, but failed only because people refused to use his cotton gin. Eli Whitney never got rich from his invention, even though the demand during the release of his Cotton Gin rose fifty percent each year. Whitney's design was indeed superior to any other on the market, especially to any makeshift knockoff. The purpose of Whitney's design was to eliminate the need for hand-cleaning the cotton, and his invention would have done just that. Whitney's machine would have eliminated most hand cleaning, therefore decreased the need for slavery at the point in the process The problem is that plantation owners failed to purchase his invention and attempted to construct their own. The loss in sales was a lost chance at lowering one source of slave labor.