1. Connor Barton Columbus Magnet School Congressional District 4 The Cotton Gin Invented on: October 28, 1793 By: Eli Whitney The invention automated the separation of cotton from it's seeds.

2. Why was the Cotton Gin important? The cotton gin was important, because it sorted cotton quickly and cotton was sold fast so that it made easy profits for the owner. Background information about the times: There was slavery in the United States and African – Americans were treated badly. What was society like at the time? George Washington got re-elected for his second term as president, slaves were escaping, and all work was very manual. www.accessible-archives.com

3. How did the cotton gin change society? It changed society by creating the need for more textile machines that led to the industrial revolution. Did it make things better for people? It only made things better for white people that owned cotton plantations and after Abraham Lincoln freed slaves it made things better for everyone. Did it make things worse for people? It was only bad for the African – Americans back in 1793. How did it make things better or worse? It was better for the white plantation owners because they were able to sort cotton faster, producing more for sale, and they made more money. It was worse for the African – Americans in 1793 because cotton gins meant more slaves were needed to pick the cotton. Later on, Abraham Lincoln freed all slaves and anyone could own a cotton gin or work on a plantation which was good for everyone.

4. How is the cotton gin important for people today? It is important because if we didn't have the cotton gin we would have to use our hands to get the seeds out of the cotton, our hands would bleed, and it would take forever to get the seeds out. We would barely have any clothes today because it would take a long time to get the seeds out and you can't make clothes with seeds in it. Double-click to add graphicsDouble-click to add graphics inventors.about.com

5. My thoughts about the cotton gin I think the cotton gin is a really smart invention because of how it separates cotton from its seeds. To think that almost everyone in the world wears a fabric made from cotton, and the first thing the cotton goes through is the cotton gin. It was all because of Eli Whitney. Impact on my life: Since Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, newer versions of the cotton gin were created. The newer cotton gin is the first step to making clothes that I usually wear.