Question

What effect did Eli Whitney's cotton gin have on the Southern economy?

Answer 1

I think it bolstered the need for slave labor in the South. The more slaves the more production.

Answer 2

The cotton gin allowed cotton growers to produce many times more cotton in a shorter time. This allowed them to produce more cotton to keep up with the demand from America's and Britain's textile industry. Farmers became interested in farming only cotton because it guaranteed financial success.