What invention led to rise in slaves in the south

The invention that led to a significant increase in the demand for slaves in the Southern United States was the cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. The cotton gin dramatically simplified the process of removing seeds from cotton fibers. Before its invention, the laborious process of seed removal limited cotton production. But with the cotton gin, what had previously taken a person an entire day to separate could now be done in just a few hours.

This efficiency boost made cotton cultivation vastly more profitable and led to the expansion of cotton plantations in the South. As a result, the demand for labor, specifically slave labor, rose sharply because enslaved Africans provided the primary workforce for these plantations. This link between the cotton gin and the increase in slavery was so direct that it can be seen as a critical factor in the entrenchment of the institution of slavery in the United States until the end of the Civil War.