Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Who really invented the cotton gin?


Most history books say that Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. But is that really true? Your assignment is to read the Smithsonian article, and in a well written paragraph, complete the following task:
Briefly summarize the four claims for the invention of the gin, and tell who has the best claim, and (most importantly) why that claim was best.


28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Period 1 Louis Gonzalez
Other inventors tried to copy Whitney's ideas. I think slaves didn't really invent it because they didn't have a right to patent an idea. Catherine greene was a woman and woman did not have rights so it doesn't count they din't have the right to do the same things as men.
I think that Eli Whitney really did invent the cotton gin. The reason I think he is right is because he made it famous and he was most known for the idea of the cotton gin.

Anonymous said...

p. 1 diana G. victoria I .
Eli Whitney - he was intrested in inventing machines to help planters, or problems they had.
Catherine Greene - she tutored Eli & help finish and improve the maching that Eli "invented".
African Slaves - they gave the idea to Eli since african americans couldn't register a patent in the court.
Southern Planters- they say it was an ancient invention that was made in the 18th century.
*We think that the african slaves were the ones who invented it because they themselves couldn't register a patent because they werent citizens. Then Eli "borrowed" and improved it with the help of Catherine. But it originated from the slaves.

Anonymous said...

Per 1 Eduardo S. Jocelyn T.
Eli Whitney would listened to planters & decided to help them out by inventing the cotton gin. Catherine was a women who supported the cotton gin idea & helped complete the invention. The African Slaves say that Eli stoled their idea from a comb that they used to take the seeds out of the cotton. The Southern Planters improved the cotton gin. We agree with Catherine Greene story because at the last moment she gave Eli the missing step at the end, that he forgot to add.

Anonymous said...

Per.1 Geovanny C. & Sandro C.
Eli Whitney says that when he listened to the planters, he got the idea for "inventing" the cotton gin. Catharine Green says that she supported Eli in the making of his "invention" by giving him a brush to improve his idea. The African slaves say that they were using a device that already got rid of the seeds, but they couldn't register it since they were slaves. The southern planters say that the cotton gin was already invented 1000 years BC. We think that the African slaves had the best claim because if they were using a machine that already got rid of the seeds, no one could invent it anymore.

Anonymous said...

P1 Cesar.B Andrew.B
Eli lisetened to planters so decided to help and made the cotton gin. Catharine helped Eli with inventing the gin. African slaves could have made the idea for the gin but can't get it patented so Eli took the idea and took credit for the invention. We belive that the southern planters deserve credit because they made the roller gin and the cotton gin is a improvement of the roller gin.

Anonymous said...

P1 Cesar.B Andrew.B
Eli lisetened to planters so decided to help and made the cotton gin. Catharine helped Eli with inventing the gin. African slaves could have made the idea for the gin but can't get it patented so Eli took the idea and took credit for the invention. We belive that the southern planters deserve credit because they made the roller gin and the cotton gin is a improvement of the roller gin.

Anonymous said...

P.1 Sunshyne S., and Evert R.
Eli's Whitney's perspetive is that he should get the credit for the invention of the cotton gin because he invented the machine on his own.
In Catherine Greene's perspective she should get some of the credit because she says that she helped on the last step in inventing the machine.
In the slaves' perspective they thought that they should get the credit because they were the ones working in the plantaion, picking up the cotton and finding an easy way to remove the seeds and that the whitney took their ideas and made it his.
The southerns perspective was that they invented the roller gin and that Whitney stole or boycotted their ideas into another version of the invention.
We believe that the Southern planters should get the credit because the cotton gin was another style of the original roller gin.

Anonymous said...

P.1 Katherine.P Mayra.P

Eli Whitney-He was a younger inventor who supposibly innevted the Cotton Gin. As we dig deeper we found out that like any inventor you have to get ideas from other invention's. In his case he did more than get ideas, he actually just recreated invetions and made them more complicated.

Catherine Greene- Catherine Greene was a woman who kept Eli Whitney companing and Shelter. SHe also supported him and helped him find the missing piece of the Cotton Grin.

The African Slaves- They couldn't register their inventions and ELi WHitney took the idea from their comblike device.

The Southern Planters-They invented a roller gin which ELi WHitney call the COtton gin.

WE believe that the Southern Planters invented it first because ELi WHitney just made The Roller gin mor complicated and recrated it and called it the Cotton GIn.

Anonymous said...

p.1 jessica e. and crisian d
eli invented the cotton gin to help farmers pull seeds out of cotton

catherine greene supported eli and added a piece to the machine

since slaves couldnt register inventions whites would often steal them and its said that eli stole the idea from a comblike device that slaves would use

southerners thoght that the gin goes way back before eli and elis gin is just another verion

i think the slaves had the idea about the cotton gin because they were able to invent things but not get a patent for it so the whites would steal their ideas from them.~jessica,cristian

Anonymous said...

PERIOD 1 VICTORIA ANGEL SANTIAGO AGUIAR

Eli Whitney was interested in inventing things at a small age and was the first person to paten his way of the cotton gin. Catharine Greene helped and supported Eli Whitney in the process of making the cotton gin. Eli Whitney borrowed the idea from the slave worker in the cotton field. Whitney's invention was only a small step in the production of the cotton gin.
i think Eli WHitney deserves the credit for inventing the cotton gin because he was the first person to paten his invention.

Anonymous said...

P.1 Gabriela R, Jennifer R
Eli Whitney: other inventors were copying and even improving Whitney's invention. Whitney fought back with lawsuits.
Mrs. Catherine Greene:She figured out the missing piece of Whitney's creation.
Southern Planter's:It was already invented people just improved it.
African Slaves: Slaves can't receive the acknowledge of the invention because they don't have a patent.

We think the best claim for the invention was the African Slaves because it was their idea and Whitney improved their idea to make it more valuable.

Anonymous said...

P1!!! Diego Orduna!!! and Michael Navia!!!
Eli Whitney was interrsted in inventing things at a smal age. He listened to planters problems and decided to do something to help them. Other inventors were trying to copy and improve Whitneys' invention but he fought back with lawsuits.
Catherine Greene was a woman who tutored Eli Whitney. She supported Eli a lot. When Whitney created his invention he was quite done with it and Catherine helped him by finding the missing piece for it.
The african salves would do something similar to cotton like the cotton gin but by hand. Whitney saw them and came up with the idea to make the cotton gin. Te slaves could not make inventions or patent them because the owner would just take credit for it. Whitney improved the slaves idea. They couldnt prove that Whitney stole the idea though.

Anonymous said...

P. 1 Annette M. Francisco M.
Eli Whitney believed that he built the first cotton gin so he wanted credit for it.
Mrs. Greene helped Eli find a missing piece of the cotton gin.
Slaves could not get credit because they werent considered citizens so they couldnt register an invention with the patent officer.
The southern planters had created the roller gin way before whitney improved it.
We believe that the southern planters should of gotten the credit because Whitney only improved the invention

Anonymous said...

P.1 Dayanna R., Maria R.
Eli Whitney claimed to have invented the cotton gin because he was very interested in helping the planters with their problems. Mrs. Catharine Greene claimed she should recieve credit because she fixed the gin so it wouldn't get clogged. The African slaves claim that Whitney stole the incomplete idea from them. The southern planters claim that the cotton gin has been invented before many years ago and that Whitney just improved the design and bent the legal system.

We think that the southern planters had the best claim because they had more proof for their story and also proved that Hodgen Holmes invented the cotton gin 5 years before Whitney.

Anonymous said...

p.1 Marco F. Daniel G.
Eli was interested in inventing as a child, and he listened and helped planters.
Catherine Greene
She helped Eli by feeding him while he was working on the gin, and at the end she gave him a hint on the missing piece of the gin.
Africans
They combed the cotton which gave Eli a hint on what should be in the gin.
Southern Planters
tried to make a gin but most were incomplete.
Marco F
i beleive Eli invented it but he had hints from others.
Daniel G.
i think the slaves invented the gin because historians think that the slaves did and slaves couldn't get a patent on inventions

Anonymous said...

per.1 Cliserio J. and Jeanette H.
Eli whitney was interested in inventing things. He listened to planters and invented the cotton gin to help them. He filed lawsuited against people who tried to steal is ideas. Cathrine Greene helped Eli invent the Cotton Gin. Slaves could not take credit for inventions so it was easy to steal their ideas. Eli was charged for stealing ideas from the slaves.There is no proof that he stole the idea for the invention. The southern planters' cotton gin was ancient and was called the roller gin. The roller gin was soon improved by many inventors. Eli Whitney invented it because he was the first one to make that kind of cotton gin.

Anonymous said...

P.1 Albert B. and Ivette A.
Eli Whitney was an inventive kid who ended up inventing a cotton gin and filed law suits in order to keep a patent.
Catherine Greene was a lady who hired eli, sheltered him through the process of creating the cotton gin.
Slaves could not register their inventions therefore making it easy for people to steal their ideas.
we think that Catherine Greene was the one who officially invented the cotton gin because she finished and found the missing piece of the cotton gin.

Anonymous said...

IRVIN V & DIEGO L Period 2
We believe that the southern planters have the best claim because the cotten gin was a acient invetion.

Anonymous said...

PER.2 ADRian RUiz RYan RODRigUEZ I THINK CARTHERINE GREEN HAS THE BEST REASON BEACAUSE WITHOUT HER HELP THE COTTEN GIN WOULDENT WORK AS WELLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

JOSUE C DANIEL B PERIOD, 2

ELI WHITNEY
He was interested inventing things at a young age 14.
He invented the cotton gin .

MRS.CATHERINE GREENE
She was a widow of a prominent general in the revolutionary war.

Anonymous said...

Period 2 Anika G. Yared L.

Eli Whitney was successful l and creative since age 14 ! He was born in Westberough MA in 1765. Catherine Green was a widow she hired Whitney as a tutor. She supported whitney with food , lodging , encouragement and idea's. Slaves couldn't register their ideas because they didn't have the right as others did!.

Anonymous said...

the southern planters had the idea as an acient invention

Anonymous said...

per.2 valery hurtado and kadin noel
eli whitney was interested in inventing things especally machinery so she invented the cotton gin but many clamied that he didnt invent the cotto gin.

Anonymous said...

period 2
Mayra Robles

eli liked inventing at a small age.When catharine hired Whitney as a tutor she suported whitney with his idea.the slaves had a comblike divice before whitney.the cotton gin is a acient device. i think the ancient device is better.

Anonymous said...

period.2 yajayra quispe, karina maya

we think that the african slaves had the best claim for th invention because they couldnt register the cotton gin.

Anonymous said...

David S.
Anahi S.
Per.2

Eli whitney was intrested in inventing things at a small age.

Catharine was the widow of a pominet general in the revoulitionary war.

The african slaves couldnt register any inventions with the patent office because they werent citizens

Anonymous said...

RUBEN CRUZ
JESUS RAMIREZ
PERIOD 2
ELI WHITNEY WAS BORN IN WESTBROUGH MA IN 1765 AND ELI WHITNEY WAS ALWAYS INTERSTED IN MACHINE AND ALSO HE WORKED IN HIS FATHERS WOODSHOP .

Anonymous said...

moderation