The cotton gin is a revolutionary invention that revolutionized the cotton industry in the United States. Developed by Eli Whitney in 1793, the cotton gin was a machine that separated the seeds from the cotton fibers. This invention allowed for the mass production of cotton and made it
A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation. The separated seeds may be used to grow more cotton or to produce cottonseed oil. Handheld roller gins had been used in the Indian subcontinent since around 500 A.D. and later in other regions. The Indian worm-gear roller gin was invented sometime around the 16th century and has, according to Lakwete, remained virtually unchanged today.