Before the cotton gin was invented, cotton was a luxury fabric as expensive as silk.

Prior to the late 18th century, a single worker could spend an entire day removing seeds from just one pound of short-staple cotton fiber. This extreme labor requirement kept cotton prices high, often rivaling the cost of imported silk. In 1793, American inventor Eli Whitney developed the cotton gin, which used a system of hooks, wires, and a rotating brush to separate the seeds from the lint efficiently.The impact was immediate and massive. By 1800, cotton production in the United States jumped from roughly 3,000 bales per year to 73,000 bales. This mechanical leap reduced the cost of cotton cloth so significantly that it became the primary textile for the working class. Before this shift, the average person owned very few outfits because wool and linen were difficult to maintain and expensive to produce.The widespread availability of cotton also transformed public health. Unlike wool, which traps bacteria and is hard to boil, cotton can be washed frequently at high temperatures without destroying the fabric. Historians often note that the 'Cotton Revolution' led to a decrease in skin diseases and improved overall personal cleanliness. However, this economic boom also had a dark side, as it dramatically increased the demand for enslaved labor in the American South to harvest the raw crop.