Eli Whitney

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin late in the 18th century. It greatly reduced the manpower required to harvest the cotton plant.
The first cotton gin was invented in India during the 5th century, there is proof of this in the Ajanta caves.

There is controversy over who invented the key element of the cotton gin, the wire hooks. Katherine Greene supporters cite the claim of a friend of a friend of the plantation foreman. While Whitney supporters, like myself, cite a letter to the editor of Southern Agriculturist magazine, whose author heard from shadowy sources that Whitney had asked Greene for a pin to experiment with at the start of his efforts. There is also the claim that Eli Whitney got the idea from some African slaves working on the plantation, and he just mechanized it. Nevertheless, Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin in 1714, and is given the credit of inventing the cotton gin.

Also, green cotton was the only cotton that could survive in most of the south, and cotton gins are not used to hold the cotton, they only separate the seed from the cotton fibers. There was also another cotton gin in between Eli Whitney's and the single-roller cotton gin in China and India. It was called the double-roller cotton gin, invented during the medieval period.

Ultimately, what is historically verifiable is that Whitney received the patent for the version of the cotton gin which revolutionized cotton production. As to who came up with which idea, and when, it's been the subject of any number of very sketchily supported claims for generations.
The first cotton gin was invented in India during the 5th century, there is proof of this in the Ajanta caves.

There is controversy over who invented the key element of the cotton gin, the wire hooks. Katherine Greene supporters cite the claim of a friend of a friend of the plantation foreman. While Whitney supporters, like myself, cite a letter to the editor of Southern Agriculturist magazine, whose author heard from shadowy sources that Whitney had asked Greene for a pin to experiment with at the start of his efforts. There is also the claim that Eli Whitney got the idea from some African slaves working on the plantation, and he just mechanized it. Nevertheless, Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin in 1714, and is given the credit of inventing the cotton gin.

Also, green cotton was the only cotton that could survive in most of the south, and cotton gins are not used to hold the cotton, they only separate the seed from the cotton fibers. There was also another cotton gin in between Eli Whitney's and the single-roller cotton gin in China and India. It was called the double-roller cotton gin, invented during the medieval period.

Ultimately, what is historically verifiable is that Whitney received the patent for the version of the cotton gin which revolutionized cotton production. As to who came up with which idea, and when, it's been the subject of any number of very sketchily supported claims for generations.

The year the Cotton Gin was built was 1793. Eli Whitney moved from New England to the South in 1792 He was provided a workshop by his employer in the south, Catherine Greene, when he completed it he took on a partner, Phineas Miller. This creation revolutionized Cotton Farming.

Note: Eli Whitney also designed a way to manufacture muskets by machine in such a way that the parts would be interchangeable. This method is known today as 'mass production'.

The death of Eli occurs during a war (though not directly in the battle per se) between the Israelites and the Philistines, in which the Israelites were defeated and The Ark was captured. Eli himself was 98 years old and had judged Israel for 40 years when he received the news about the war:

A Benjaminite fled from the battlefield and reached Shiloh that same day, with his clothes torn and his head covered with dirt. When he arrived, Eli was sitting in his chair beside the gate, watching the road, for he was troubled at heart about the ark of God. The man, however, went into the city to divulge his news, which put the whole city in an uproar. Hearing the outcry of the men standing near him, Eli inquired, "What does this commotion mean?" (Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes would not focus, so that he could not see.) The man quickly came up to Eli and said, "It is I who have come from the battlefield; I fled from there today." He asked, "What happened, my son?" And the messenger answered: "Israel fled from the Philistines; in fact, the troops suffered heavy losses. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are among the dead, and the ark of God has been captured." At this mention of the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his chair into the gateway; since he was an old man and heavy, he died of a broken neck. He had judged Israel for forty years.

1 Samuel 4:12-18 NAB

And there ran a man of Beniamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he came, loe, Eli sate upon a seat by the way side, watching: for his heart trembled for the Arke of God. And when the man came into the citie, and told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, hee said; what meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. Now Eli was ninetie and eight yeeres old, and his eyes were dimme (Hebr. stood), that he could not see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he, that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, what is (Hebr. is the thing) there done, my sonne? And the messenger answered, and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath bene also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sonnes also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Arke of God is taken. And it came to passe when hee made mention of the Arke of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his necke brake, and hee died: for hee was an old man, and heavie, and he had iudged Israel fortie yeeres.

1 Samuel 4:12-18 KJV (quoted from an exact photographic replica of an existing original 1611 printing)