America in the 19th Century. The Results from the Invention of the Cotton Gins

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America in the 19th Century
Introduction
Civilization in the United States (U.S.) begun earlier than many other countries. In this order, the country encountered various phases of evolution that have remained in its history books. The first half of the 19th Century, in particular, was remarkable as it marked a revolution in various facets of the economy. The industrial revolution had already kick-started providing employment opportunities to many individuals who were initially farmworkers. On the other hand, their economic divisions between the North and South regions of the country. This division was reasonable as the North comprised of Whites while the slaves (mainly people of color) were the major population in the Southern region. Similarly, this group of people had different economic activities. The North was reliant on industrial and manufacturing activities while the South was mostly farmers. Even though the relevance of the division was more prevalent from a racial point of view, both sides contributed to the overall growth of the economy. Moreover, it was the eminent predominance of the factors that were present in these works that defined their course.
The Results from the Invention of the Cotton Gins
Inventions that were at the center of the growth in the South region were the cotton gins. Wealthy individuals in these regions realized declining profits from conventional crops such as tobacco and indigo. As a response, some decided to move to the west where they could reinvest in better and lucrative opportunities. However, it was not until Eli Whitney, a New-England born, invented the cotton in 1793 and contributed immensely to the revival of the Southern economy. This engineering was a major leap forward considering the reigning features of cotton. This product, which was resistant to rot with its long fibers and smooth seeds was at the time providing immense financial returns in Georgia and Sea Islands of the Carolinas. British factory owners were the primary customers of these farm produce. There were long-staple and short-staple cotton. The former was dominant in the southern coast because of the mineral-rich alluvial soils. The former was better in that it could be grown widely. However, it had a major drawback and more in the course of profitability, because it consumed many resources (time and effort) to remove the seeds. Consequently, the financial returns would be limited. However, the cotton gin was about to revolutionize this craft. The equipment was “a wooden box with a series of combs attached to a handle” (Clark et al., 2008). The equipment was fundamental to the process as the slave worker was expected to crank the handle and in the process, the combs separated seeds from fiber. This primitive gin became a quick favorite among farm owners because the slave laborer’s productivity increased tenfold compared to when they did these activities with their bare hands. Many locations including Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia could produce the crop profitably.
In some way, it furthered the employment opportunities available to people of color. The invention of the cotton gin coincided with the population expulsi...