Eli Whitney (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) was an American inventor
best known for inventing the cotton gin (below). This machine, which separates
the seed from the cotton, was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution  
and helped shape the economy of the South by making cotton a profitable crop.

 
A model of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin

This is the actual patent (#72X) Eli Whitney received for his cotton gin

Drawing of an early full scale cotton gin