What significant invention did Eli Whitney create in 1793 that revolutionized the cotton industry?

Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793 had a profound impact on the cotton industry and American agriculture. The cotton gin mechanized the process of separating cotton fibers from seeds, which had previously been a labor-intensive task. This innovation drastically increased the efficiency of cotton processing, allowing a single worker to clean as much cotton in one hour as could be done by hand in an entire day.

As a result, the cotton gin played a crucial role in the expansion of cotton plantations in the South, leading to a boom in cotton production. This increase not only contributed to the economic prosperity of the southern states but also solidified the region's reliance on slave labor, as the demand for cotton grew significantly. The cotton gin effectively transformed cotton into a dominant cash crop in the United States, influencing both the economy and the social structure of the country during this period.

Other choices, while important inventions of their time, did not specifically impact the cotton industry in the same manner. The reaper, for instance, improved grain harvesting, the steam engine was critical for transportation and industry, and the spinning jenny advanced textile manufacturing, but none had the direct and revolutionary effect on cotton production that Whitney's cotton gin did.