jan 1, 1793 - Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin
Description:
Whitney noticed slaves were having difficulties removing seeds from cotton bolls. In his spare time, he made a device to make it quicker and easier to do so. By 1860, cotton became a cash crop. (Src: http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/cotton_gin/pages/reading.html)
Added to timeline:

Westward Exp. Timeline
Date: