The cotton gin is a machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. Its primary function is to separate cotton fibers from their seeds, making the process much faster and more efficient than manual methods. This invention significantly increased cotton production in the United States, transforming the agricultural landscape. Before the cotton gin, it could take hours to clean a small amount of cotton by hand. With the machine, one worker could process up to 50 pounds of cotton in a day. This efficiency contributed to the growth of the cotton industry and had lasting effects on the economy and society.