Eli Whitney

Eli Whitney was an American inventor. He was born in Westborough, Massachusetts, in 1765. He invented the cotton gin, which changed farming in the South. He also helped develop interchangeable parts, which changed manufacturing.

Early Life

Whitney was good at fixing things from a young age. He made nails and hat pins to earn money. He went to Yale College. After graduating, he moved south and saw how hard it was to separate cotton seeds from the fiber.

Big Achievements

Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793. This machine could clean cotton 50 times faster than by hand. He later developed the idea of interchangeable parts for making muskets. This idea became the basis of modern manufacturing.

Fun Facts

• The cotton gin could do in one hour what used to take a worker 10 hours.
• Whitney made little money from the cotton gin because people copied his design.
• His idea of interchangeable parts changed how everything from guns to cars is made.

Did You Know?

The cotton gin had a dark side. Because it made cotton so profitable, plantation owners wanted more land and more enslaved workers. Whitney's invention accidentally helped make slavery grow in the American South.