Based on the timeline, what can be directly tied to the invention of the cotton gin?

Question

Timeline of the cotton gin
1607 planters began growing cotton in the south.
1793 U.S. slave population reached about 700,000 and Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin.
After 1793 more plantations appeared in southern states and demand for cotton increased in New England mills.
1860 U.S. slave population reached about 4 million.
1861 civil war began
B. industrialization in New England
D. the spread of slavery.

Answer 1

Based on the timeline provided, the invention of the cotton gin can be directly tied to D. the spread of slavery.

The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 made cotton production significantly more efficient, leading to an increase in cotton plantations in the South and, consequently, a greater demand for labor to cultivate and harvest the cotton. This demand led to the expansion of slavery, as more enslaved people were needed to work on these plantations. The timeline also indicates a significant increase in the U.S. slave population from about 700,000 in 1793 to about 4 million by 1860, demonstrating how intertwined the cotton gin's invention was with the expansion of slavery in the United States.

While B. industrialization in New England is also a relevant outcome, as the increased cotton supply fueled the textile mills in that region, the direct link of the cotton gin's invention primarily corresponds to the expansion and spread of slavery.