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Back when I was in school it was taught that the cotton gin was the beginning of the plantation system growing to the point of its power being the main reason slavery remained. Of course there were plantations before but they were not primarily cotton based. My question is this: what if ELi Whitney had not invented the gin- would someone else have done it only later, and how much difference would it have made?
WIthout the gin, cotton does not become the primary southern crop; and the rationale for large plantations and lots of slaves is reduced greatly.
The impact on the south and the whole slavery issue= how much would have changed?
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