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Life before the cotton gin was very strange, unpredictable, and production of cotton was very sluggish. In the 1800s, before the cotton gin, slaves had to pick seeds out of the cotton fiber by hand. Production was so slow southerners began to give slaves breaks until the cotton gin was invented.

Now, even though Texas continues a long tradition as the nation's leading cotton-producing state, there are just 230 gins. “Today gins are much different. It does kind of preserve what gins used to be,” said Tony Williams, executive director of the Texas Cotton Ginners Association.

The cotton gin is still used today. It has gone through many changes and updates, but the core idea of the machine is still present. In the mid-1800s, Robert Munger created "system ginning," which improved the process of getting the seeds out of the cotton.

4:59 15:40 How A Cotton Gin Works - YouTube YouTube Start of suggested clip End of suggested clip And meter how much cotton is going into each gin stain. And then once the cotton hits the gin. StandMoreAnd meter how much cotton is going into each gin stain. And then once the cotton hits the gin. Stand it goes into these saws are running between ribs. The saws pull the fiber through the ribs.

The gin cost $60, plus $40 for shipping, and Piazzek quickly put it into use upon its arrival in Kansas.

Lesson Summary. The cotton gin was a revolutionary device invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. It efficiently separated seeds from cotton fiber, allowing users to produce up to 50 pounds of lint a day. The invention of the cotton gin had profound implications: it allowed cotton to become the dominant cash crop in the South ...

Now, even though Texas continues a long tradition as the nation's leading cotton producing state, there are just 230 gins. "Today gins are much different. It does kind of preserve what gins used to be," said Tony Williams, executive director of the Texas Cotton Ginners Association.

The gin is made with two rotating cylinders. The first cylinder has lines of teeth around the circumference, and angled against this cylinder is a metal plate with small holes, "ginning ribs", through which the teeth can fit with minimal gaps.