Answer :
Final answer:
The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, is a fast and cheap way to remove seeds from cotton, significantly increasing productivity and contributing to the Cotton Revolution.
Explanation:
The most efficient and economical method to remove seeds from cotton historically was by using a cotton gin, an invention by Eli Whitney in 1793. This essential invention revolutionized the cotton industry by enabling the fast removal of seeds from raw cotton, a process that was much more time-consuming when done manually by hand.
Not only did the cotton gin increase productivity by allowing an enslaved laborer to clean fifty pounds of cotton a day compared to one pound if done by hand, but it also significantly contributed to the Cotton Revolution, making cotton a dominant cash crop in the American South.
Before the invention of the cotton gin, the task of removing seeds from the cotton was laborious and inefficient, with the use of a cotton picker or handpicking as the primary methods. But the gin changed that by quickly separating the seeds from the cotton fibers, which were then pressed into bales and transported for sale. This led to a massive increase in cotton production, from about 73,000 bales in the year 1800 to 730,000 bales by 1820.