Answer :
Final answer:
The cotton gin, created by Eli Whitney, was crucial in transforming the American cotton industry, leading to the United States dominating the global cotton market while simultaneously increasing the reliance on slavery in the South.
Explanation:
The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, was pivotal in revolutionizing the American cotton industry. This invention greatly increased the efficiency of cotton processing, making it possible to quickly remove seeds from short-staple cotton, which was more difficult to process than the long staple variety.
However, the cotton revolution also had profound social and economic consequences. The demand for cotton led to the expansion into the Old Southwest and further entrenched the gruesome institution of slavery, with a significant increase in the number of enslaved people working on cotton plantations.