- Collection:
- New Georgia Encyclopedia
- Title:
- Cotton gins
- Creator:
- Hargrett, Elizabeth
- Date of Original:
- 2009-08-28
- Subject:
- Cotton gins and ginning--Washington (D.C.)
Cotton machinery--Washington (D.C.)
Whitney, Eli, 1765-1825 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- articles
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
- Description:
- Encyclopedia article about cotton gins. The modern cotton gin, first patented by Massachusetts native Eli Whitney while in Georgia in 1793, is a simple machine that separates cotton fibers from the seeds. The gin (short for engine) consists of wire teeth mounted on a boxed rotating cylinder that, when cranked, pulls cotton fiber through small grates to separate the seeds, while a rotating brush removes lint from the spikes to avoid jams. Its invention quickly transformed the course of agriculture in the Deep South, and in so doing deepened the reliance of southern society on slavery and the plantation system.
GSE identifier: SS8H4 - Metadata URL:
- https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/cotton-gins/
- Language:
- eng
- Additional Rights Information:
- If you wish to use content from the NGE site for commercial use, publication, or any purpose other than fair use as defined by law, you must request and receive written permission from the NGE. Such requests may be directed to: Permissions/NGE, University of Georgia Press, 330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602.
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: "ARTICLE TITLE," New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved [date]: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org.
- Original Collection:
- Forms part of the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
- Holding Institution:
- New Georgia Encyclopedia (Project)
- Rights:
-
