part 1: the
cotton gin Started the Civil War. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a simple device that transformed both agricultural and industrial America. The gin itself comprised a rotating drum with wire hooks or ratchet-like teeth that pulled cotton fibers between the teeth of a comb.
part 2: the cotton gin caused the civil war because it increased the desire to keep slavery. After Eli Whitney unveiled his invention to the public, slave population, cotton production, and profits all increased exponentially. The deep south became accustomed to this large production/large reward system.
