Who Invented The Cotton Gin ?
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Cotton was one of the most widely cultivated crops in Africa, Asia and North America. During the fifth century AD, the Indians developed a single cotton roller that would remove the seeds from fibers without crushing the seeds in the process. Numerous paintings in the Ajanta caves of Western India are a standing testimony to the use single roller machines.
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In the twelfth and thirteenth century AD, India and China developed the double roller machines that were more sophisticated that their single roller counterparts. These machines were perfect for cotton varieties grown in India that had long fibers. The American cotton varieties had short fibers. Therefore, these machines could not be used for the same. Slavery was rampant during the period, forcing thousands of slaves to remove the short lint with hand. The task was arduous, time consuming and not very effective.
Eli Whitney in the eighteenth century invented and patented the famous cotton gin during the Industrial Revolution. It had a very simple structure. It was made up of metal wires in the form of a mesh. Metal hooks were present to pull the fibers apart from the seeds. A revolving metal cylinder pulled the cotton fibers in such a way that the small lint would be separated from the seeds. Metal brushes placed inside, helped in removing these fibers from the metal spikes/hooks. Hydropower was used later on to power these machines. The work became faster and more effective. The sale and production of cotton was sky rocketing, making cotton the most demanded fabric the world over. America became the largest exporter of cotton.
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