The Invention of the Barbed Wire in Comparison to the Invention of the Cotton Gin. Essay Example

During the 18th century, the invention of the cotton gin caused raw cotton production to rise quickly. The growth was further accelerated by machines for spinning and weaving fabric and steamboats for transportation introduced during the Industrial Revolution, resulting in a high demand for cotton. By the mid-19th century, about 60% of America's exports came from the South primarily in form of cotton. Although mass-production methods led to prosperity in this region, it also triggered an upsurge in slavery as laborers were still required to harvest and cultivate the crop.

Planters experienced an increase in demand for land and slave labor due to the profitability of cotton growing. The cotton gin facilitated more structured and consistent work on larger plantations, thereby utilizing more slave labor. Similarly, the cattle industry underwent a revolution with the invention of barbed wire; h