1793 Eli Whitney invents the saw gin

This picture shows a saw gin in use on a cotton plantation.
It is taken from a much larger print, which shows the whole manufacturing process in the early nineteenth century.

When the cotton was picked on a plantation it contained stalks, leaves and seeds. These had to be removed by hand before packing. The saw gin was invented by the American Eli Whitney to separate the stalks and leaves from the cotton. It was used on plantations before the cotton was packed into bales. This process became known as ginning.

For more information on the cotton gin go to the cotton process activity.

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