Which Problem with Cotton Did Eli Whitney Solve by Inventing

question 8

Multiple Choice

Which problem with cotton did Eli Whitney solve by inventing the cotton gin?

• A) Whitney figured out how to remove the cotton-destroying boll weevil and thereby save the cotton crop.
• B) Removing seeds from the cotton was a slow and painstaking task, but Whitney made it much easier and less labor-intensive.
• C) Processing cotton required too many different pieces of equipment, but Whitney figured out how to change the equipment more easily and quickly, saving time and money.
• D) Planting the cotton took too many hours to make its growth very profitable, but Whitney enabled planters to use a machine to speed the planting.
• E) The production of southern whiskey required the use of cotton in purifying the liquor, but the cotton absorbed too much liquid; Whitney's machine changed that.