In the mid-1790s, Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin, leading to an economic boom in the American South. The invention enables large-scale cotton cultivation and increases cotton exports exponentially. By 1820, cotton exports reach a staggering 35 million pounds. Cotton becomes the mainstay of the industrial revolution and the South's economic backbone. The demand for slaves skyrockets as cotton becomes the new gold rush. The South, lacking in industry, relies heavily on cotton's profitability. The growth in slave numbers mirrors the rise of the cotton gin, making the US a major player in the slave trade. The South's economic power becomes inseparable from slavery.