About This Video
Invented in 1793, the cotton gin changed history for good and bad. By allowing one field hand to do the work of 10, it powered a new industry that brought wealth and power to the American South -- but, tragically, it also multiplied and prolonged the use of slave labor. Kenneth C. Davis lauds innovation, while warning us of unintended consequences.
Meet The Creators
Kenneth C. Davis
Educator
Sunni Brown
Producer
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop
http://www.eliwhitney.org/
Smithsonian Museum: Exhibit of American Inventors and Inventions
http://www.150.si.edu/150trav/remember/amerinv.htm
National Museum of American History: Industry and Manufacturing
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/subject_detail.cfm?key=32&colkey=20
You can learn more about slavery and its impact on American history, the presidency, and the Civil War in these books by Kenneth C. Davis:
1) http://dontknowmuch.com/books/dont-know-much-about-the-american-presidents/
2) http://dontknowmuch.com/books/dont-know-much-about-history/
3) http://dontknowmuch.com/books/dont-know-much-about-the-civil-war/
