Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1794 revolutionized the cotton industry in the United States. The cotton gin, short for "engine," was a machine that quickly and efficiently separated cotton fibers from their seeds, a process that was previously done by hand and was extremely labor-intensive. Whitney's cotton gin significantly increased the amount of cotton that could be processed, leading to a boom in cotton production in the Southern United States. This invention had profound economic and social impacts, contributing to the expansion of the cotton industry and the entrenchment of the plantation economy. However, it also had the unfortunate consequence of revitalizing the institution of slavery, as the demand for labor to plant and harvest cotton increased. Whitney's cotton gin is a prime example of how technological advancements can have wide-reaching and sometimes unintended effects on society.