Explanation:
The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, revolutionized the textile industry and had a profound impact on the South during the antebellum era. Before the cotton gin, it was a labor-intensive and time-consuming process to separate the cotton fibers from the seeds, making cotton production a relatively inefficient and costly undertaking. The cotton gin dramatically reduced the amount of labor and time required to process cotton, making it a much more profitable crop to grow. As a result, cotton production in the South increased exponentially, leading to the expansion of plantations, the increased demand for enslaved labor, and the growth of the slave economy. The growth of the cotton gin thus played a pivotal role in creating the conditions that characterized the South during the antebellum era.