Eli Whitney, an American inventor, was granted a patent for his invention, the cotton gin, which revolutionized the cotton industry in the United States. Conceived during his time in Georgia, the cotton gin was designed to automate the labor-intensive process of separating cotton fibers from their seeds. Prior to the gin's invention, this process was painstakingly done by hand, limiting cotton production and increasing labor costs. Whitney's machine made it possible to process cotton much more quickly and efficiently, thereby laying the groundwork for the proliferation of cotton plantations.

The cotton gin utilized a series of rotating saws and a fine-toothed screen to pull the cotton fibers through, leaving the seeds behind. This innovation not only increased the speed of production but also made it economically viable to grow a significant amount of cotton, leading to the crop's emergence as a primary export of the United States. By making cotton much cheaper and more widely available, the cotton gin had lasting implications for agriculture in the South, driving the expansion of slavery as plantation owners sought to maximize the profits from this lucrative crop.

Whitney's cotton gin would become a cornerstone of the Southern economy, enabling the United States to become one of the largest cotton producers in the world. This innovation also contributed to the economic discrepancies between the North and South, ultimately becoming a factor in the tensions leading up to the American Civil War. Whitney's patent protected his invention, but he faced significant challenges in enforcing it, as many manufacturers were able to produce their own versions of the cotton gin without his permission, which diluted his financial gains from the invention.