In 1784 US-born inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin and revolutionized the production of cotton by speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. By the mid-19th century cotton had become America's leading export. The cotton gin made cotton cheap enough to use as a staple for textile production. Slavery and the plantation systems in the United States became fixtures in the American South.

The cotton gin and slavery lesson plan

Slavery and Industry The cotton gin & more

The historical importance of the cotton gin

Who wants to be a cotton millionaire?

American History Games

Civil rights heroes trivia game

1960s civil rights quiz game

10 civil rights history quizzes and games

Fun timeline civil rights quiz game

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Civil rights Slide puzzle game

Civil Rights Movement - Back of the Bus

Read some old scripts about slaves

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Woman's Suffrage Movement