~ 1765 - 1825
Eli Whitney was an American inventor and businessman best known for inventing the cotton gin in 1793, a device that revolutionized the cotton industry by significantly speeding up the process of separating cotton fibers from seeds. He was also a pioneer in the development of interchangeable parts for manufacturing, which laid the groundwork for modern mass production techniques. Whitney's innovations greatly impacted the economy and the industrial landscape of the United States.