| − | The '''Cotton Gin''' was invented by [[Eli Whitney]] in 1793. It increased the productivity of picking cotton and therefore increased the value of cotton fields. The cotton gin is notable because it is considered to have increased the need for slaves in the south, and further entrenched [[slavery]] in that part of the United States. | + | The '''Cotton Gin''' was a machine invented by [[Eli Whitney]] in 1793. It increased the productivity of picking cotton and therefore increased the value of cotton fields. The cotton gin is notable because it is considered to have increased the need for slaves in the [[south]], and further entrenched [[slavery]] in that part of the United States. |