Terms in this set (7) How did the invention of the cotton gin change Southern life? Eli Whitney’s cotton gin changed the south by, triggering vast westward movement, made it so planter grew more cotton, and the cotton exports expanded. Growing cotton required a large work force and slaves became much more valuable.

While it was true that the cotton gin reduced the labor of removing seeds, it did not reduce the need for slaves to grow and pick the cotton. In fact, the opposite occurred. Cotton growing became so profitable for the planters that it greatly increased their demand for both land and slave labor.

The cotton gin made the cotton industry of the South explode. Before its invention, separating cotton fibers from its seeds was a labor-intensive and unprofitable venture. After Whitney unveiled his cotton gin, processing cotton became much easier, resulting in greater availability and cheaper cloth.

The Cotton Gin was used to remove the seeds from the cotton. How did the use of the Cotton Gin help the South? The Cotton Gin helped the South by producing more cotton causing a higher demand for cotton.

Cotton Cotton grows in warm climates and most of the world’s cotton is grown in the U.S., Uzbekistan, the People’s Republic of China and India. Other leading cotton-growing countries are Brazil, Pakistan and Turkey.

After the invention of the cotton gin (1793), cotton surpassed tobacco as the dominant cash crop in the agricultural economy of the South, soon comprising more than half the total U.S. exports.

An insatiable hunger for cotton First, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793. The gin transformed cotton into a profitable crop by reducing its processing time and making large-scale cultivation possible.