Chapter 11

What is the main purpose of the cotton gin?

• To separate sticky seeds from cotton fibers

• To plant cotton seeds in the ground

• To water cotton plants

• To dye cotton fabric

Who invented the cotton gin in 1793?

• Eli Whitney

• Thomas Edison

• Alexander Graham Bell

• Benjamin Franklin

What does the term "productivity" mean as used in the text?

• How efficiently something can be made; the rate of output per unit of input

• The number of people working in a factory

• The amount of money made from selling cotton

• The size of a cotton field

How did the cotton gin affect the amount of cotton grown in the South?

• It increased dramatically

• It stayed the same

• It decreased slightly

• It stopped completely

Why did Southern farmers want to plant more cotton after the invention of the cotton gin?

• Cotton became the South’s largest and most important crop

• Cotton was easier to eat

• Cotton could be used as money

• Cotton plants grew faster than other crops

What was one harmful consequence of the invention of the cotton gin?

• Increased dependence on slavery in the South

• Decreased cotton production

• Fewer workers needed in the fields

• Less cotton exported to other countries

Explain how the cotton gin changed the way cotton was produced and its impact on society.

• It made cotton production faster and easier, but also increased the need for enslaved workers and made the South more dependent on slavery.

• It made cotton harder to grow and reduced the number of workers needed.

• It allowed cotton to be grown in the North instead of the South.

• It made cotton less valuable and less important to the economy.

In what year was cotton production and the enslaved population the lowest?

• 1800

• 1820

• 1850

• 1860

In what year was cotton production and the enslaved population the highest?

• 1810

• 1840

• 1850

• 1860

What was the main purpose of the mechanical reaper?

• To plant seeds faster

• To cut and gather grain more efficiently

• To water crops automatically

• To pick cotton from fields