Answer :
Final answer:
John C. Calhoun argued that slavery was a positive good for the United States, a view which supported the expansion of the institution. The invention of the Cotton Gin, contrary to Eli Whitney's intentions, increased the demand for slave labor due to the efficiency it brought to cotton production. Both factors contributed to the growth of the slave workforce and the economic reliance of the South on slavery.
Explanation:
The views of John C. Calhoun, a leading political theorist of the 1830s-40s, and the invention of the Cotton Gin, significantly contributed to the growth of the slave workforce and the economic prosperity of the South during that time.
Calhoun defended slavery, arguing that it was a positive good for the United States. He believed that it generated wealth for the nation and freed white men to pursue superior tasks, while enslaved people were supposedly better suited for laborious work.
The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney, played a critical role in the cotton industry. Contrary to Whitney's hope that the invention would make slavery obsolete, it significantly increased the demand for slave labor. The cotton gin made the process of separating cotton seeds from raw cotton fibers faster and more efficient, thereby escalating the production of cotton to meet its growing demand.
In essence, Calhoun's views and the advent of the cotton gin led to the expansion of slavery, as cotton plantations, relying on the labor of enslaved people, became more profitable. This growth in turn solidified the South's economic dependence on slavery, causing an increase in the slave workforce.
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