The invention that most helped to make the shift to large plantations throughout the Deep South profitable was the cotton gin.
The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, was the invention that most helped make large plantations throughout the Deep South profitable. This device revolutionized cotton production by separating seeds from the fibers quickly, leading to a massive increase in cotton farming. It significantly shaped the economy and society in the South, heavily relying on enslaved labor.
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