Answer :
Answer:
D. An increase in slavery.
Explanation:
The invention of the cotton gin greatly increased the productivity of cotton harvesting by slaves. This resulted in dramatically higher profits for planters, which in turn led to a seemingly insatiable increase in the demand for more slaves.
Final answer:
The invention of the cotton gin led to an increase in the efficiency of processing cotton, spurring a boom in cotton production and expanding plantation agriculture. This in turn significantly increased the demand for slave labor to cultivate and process the growing amounts of cotton.
Explanation:
The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 drastically changed the landscape of American agriculture, specifically in the South. One significant outcome of this invention was that it dramatically increased the efficiency of cotton processing, especially for the short staple cotton which was more difficult to process compared to the long staple variety. The cotton gin quickly removed the seeds from the cotton, making it much easier and quicker to prepare for market. This led to a surge in cotton production and thus the cotton boom.
Because it was now feasible to profitably grow short staple cotton inland, plantation expansion occurred rapidly to meet the rising demand for cotton on the international market. Consequently, the demand for slave labor increased dramatically. The cotton revolution not only bolstered the economy through enhanced production but also entrenched the institution of slavery further in Southern society as it became vital for the increased cultivation of cotton fields.