The revolution of the industry of cotton in America started with the presence of cotton gin. This made the creation of cotton an effective and profitable cop most especially that in the Southern United States. This though led to the rise of slavery in the place. There is still a tenfold of cotton gin facts that owe to be discovered. What are these?
The changes brought by cotton gin
The effects of cotton gin have been drastic. The mentioned machine is responsible in the separation of seeds from other cotton fiber. It was invented by Eli Whitney in the year 1793. Needless to say, it will always be perceived as an important invention. This got to be responsible in the reduction of time to separate the cotton seeds from that of cotton fiber. Even before the invention of Whitney, cotton seeds were removed manually using hands. There were primitive tools here too which make it tedious and even a really timely process. The person had to go for ten hours just for the removal of a pound to lint coming from the said seeds.
The machine was made up of cylinder. This was wound with the use of a hand. This was also attached to the cylinder were various rows of small teeth was then being pulled on the fiber through the presence of the grid. The machine was able to comb out the seeds in that way. The lint of the fiber will be left eventually. For the last couple of years, the machine has undergone improvements and changes. However, the operating principle remained the same. This was the basic. It can still be understood that way.
El Whitney, the inventor of the machine, originated in the Westborough, Massachusetts. This was some time in 1765. He then got to obtain his degree from Yale Collage in the year 1792. After this year, he was able to come up with the cotton gin.
From that time, he received his patent. This was meant for the cotton gin in 1794. There were imitations of his device. These are said to be of real widespread. He was not even able to gain profit from the said revolutionary machine. There were legal troubles which plagued that of Whitney. There were even individuals out there who were responsible in charging Catherine Littlefield Greene. She was the wife of Nathaniel Greene, the Revolutionary War. She was the one who instruct Whitney to make cotton grin. There were loopholes in the patent law. These were the ones preventing the winning of rights to the said patent until the year 1807. During that time, it was almost too late. There was an imitation of most cotton gins and these became available.
As an addition to the invention of cotton gin, the popularity of interchangeable machine was realized. Even the milling machine came to place. At the age of 58, Whitney died. This was in 1825.
Indeed, it cannot be denied that the impact of cotton gin was remarkable.