Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney Jr. (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) was an American inventor, widely known for inventing the cotton gin in 1793, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution that shaped the economy of the Antebellum South.
Eli Whitney | |
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Whitney in 1822 | |
| Born | December 8, 1765 Westborough, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America |
| Died | January 8, 1825 (aged 59) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Education | Yale College |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Eli Whitney, Elizabeth Fay |
| Relatives | Whitney family |
| Engineering career | |
| Projects | Interchangeable parts, cotton gin |
| Signature | |
Whitney's invention made upland short cotton into a profitable crop, which strengthened the economic foundation of slavery in the United States and prolonged the institution. Despite the social and economic impact of his invention, Whitney lost much of his profits in legal battles over patent infringement for the cotton gin. Thereafter, he turned his attention to securing contracts with the government in the manufacture of muskets for the newly formed United States Army. He continued making arms and inventing until his death in 1825.