Practice Quiz

CLEP US History I

Category - Economy

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When Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1794, it cemented the role of slavery in the American South because:
  1. Cotton had not previously been grown there.
  2. It made the Southern economy dependent on cash crops.
  3. Only slaves knew how to operate the machinery.
  4. Cotton instantly became the most profitable crop.
  5. The machine was labor intensive and required slaves.
Explanation
Answer: D - Slavery was beginning to decline in the South until Eli Whiney invented the cotton gin, making cotton the most profitable crop. His invention made the separation of the seeds from the cotton much more efficient. It also coincided with the British Industrial Revolution, so there was unprecedented demand for cotton. These events ensured that slavery would spread as plantations were revitalized and settlers moved west, and that the institution would remain the backbone of the Southern economy.
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