Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney
Eli was born on December 6, 1765 in Westbro, Massachusetts. Eli studied at Yale before going on to invent teh cotton gin. Before that, he grew up on a farm, yet he had an affinity for machine work and technology. As a young man during the Revolutionary War, he became an expert at making nails from a device of his own invention. He later crafted canes and ladies' hatpins, recognizing opportunity when it arose.
In 1817, Whitney wed Henrietta Edwards. The couple had several chrildern. Eli Whitney Jr., cotinuing to work in his fathers manfacturing business as an adult. The elder Whitnet died on January 8, 1825, in New Haven, Connecticut due to Prostate cancer.
Eli went to Yale for 3 years before he invented the Cotton Gin. Eli also invented inchangable parts for rifles. With a potential was wiht France on the horison, the government looked to private contractios to supply firearms. Whitney promised to manufacture 10,000 rifles within a two-year period of time, and the govern,ent accepted his bid in 1798.
