High School

Which of the following statements gives a more accurate picture of the cotton gin's effect on slavery in Mississippi?

A. It cleaned the cotton fibers so quickly that more cotton could be processed, causing more land to be planted in cotton and increasing the demand for field slaves.

B. It had no effect on the demand for slaves because it cleaned the cotton fibers at approximately the same rate as the slaves could.

C. By doing the work of several slaves who normally separated the cotton seeds from the cotton fiber, the cotton gin caused slavery to decrease in Mississippi.

D. It had no effect on slavery in Mississippi because most people in Mississippi were too poor to afford the cotton gin.

Answer :

Final answer:

The cotton gin significantly increased the efficiency of cotton processing, leading to a higher demand for field slaves in Mississippi. Eli Whitney's invention allowed for faster cleaning of cotton fibers, prompting plantations to expand cotton production. This resulted in an overall increase in the reliance on slavery in the region.


Explanation:

The Impact of the Cotton Gin on Slavery in Mississippi


The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 significantly transformed the cotton industry, particularly in Mississippi. One of the main effects was that it cleaned the cotton fibers quickly and efficiently, which in turn allowed for an increase in the amount of cotton planted. This rapid processing led to a greater need for labor to manage the expanded cotton fields, resulting in a corresponding increase in the demand for field slaves.


To elaborate, the cotton gin could separate the cotton fibers from the seeds much faster than manual laborers could. Before the cotton gin, one worker could clean only a small amount of cotton per day, while the gin could do this process at a dramatically higher rate. As such, planters were incentivized to plant more cotton, further enhancing the need for slave labor to work the ever-expanding fields.


In summary, the correct statement regarding the cotton gin's effect on slavery in Mississippi is that it cleaned the cotton fibers so quickly that more cotton could be processed, subsequently leading to an increase in the demand for field slaves.


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