Eli Whitney was granted a U.S. patent on March 14, 1794 for the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the American cotton industry. The machine was developed to speed up the removal of seeds from raw cotton, dramatically increasing production efficiency, and transforming the South’s economy.
The cotton gin, mechanically separated seeds from fiber, increasing the daily processing from one pound to roughly 50–55 pounds per person., massively speeding cotton production and intensifying demand for enslaved labor. Patent laws were difficult to enforce at the time, and unauthorized versions spread quickly. Whitney filed a number of lawsuits against those who copied their design. but he struggled to win his cases. Eventually Whitney shifted to a licensing system, collecting fees from states and manufacturers.
