High School

While the cotton gin helped clean cotton faster, what was an unexpected result of its invention?

A. The demand for cotton fabric decreased because the gin reduced quality.
B. The expansion of cotton production increased the demand for slave labor.
C. Fewer people were needed to produce cotton, so unemployment increased.
D. People refused to use the gin because it was too expensive and complicated.

Answer :

The unexpected result of the invention of the cotton gin was:

B. The expansion of cotton production increased the demand for slave labor.

Explanation:
1. The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, revolutionized cotton production by making the process of separating seeds from cotton fibers faster and more efficient.

2. As a result of this increased efficiency, the production of cotton expanded significantly, leading to a higher demand for cotton.

3. The demand for cotton, fueled by the efficiency of the cotton gin, contributed to the growth of the cotton industry in the southern United States, where large plantations relied heavily on slave labor to meet the increased production demands.

4. The cotton gin, while improving the speed of processing cotton, inadvertently contributed to the expansion of slavery in the United States as more slaves were needed to cultivate and harvest the increased cotton crops.

Therefore, the unexpected consequence of the cotton gin invention was the increased demand for slave labor to support the booming cotton industry.