Ellie+Whitney

=Ellie Whitney (1765-1825) =

By: Tayla Carvalho
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//Background://
running a large plantation.
 * ==== Born in Westboro, Massachusetts on December 8, 1765 ====
 * From a very early age Whitney showed unusual mechinal abilities
 * In 1783 Whitney decided that he wanted to attend Yale University
 * While he attended Yale his mechinal skills kept him employed with making & fixing machines
 * After graduating in 1792 he moved to Savanna, Georgia and had plans to teach while studying law
 * In Georgia he was hired by Catherine Littlefield Greene to work on several mechinical problems attendent to
 * Whitney died January 8, 1825 in New Haven,Connecticut.

//What is he known for ? //

 * Ellie Whitney is known for being the inventor of cotton gin. His idea originated from working on the plantation and seeing the slaves clean the cotton with a comblike device. He observed how the process was done and simply mechanized it manually. Cotton gin recieved a U.S patent in 1807 (nearly fourtneen years after his original gin was developed). The design was easy to manufacture and duplicate. However there was a widespread of copying his design and court fights to protect his patent. Since all of this chaos Whitney never profited from his invention.
 * After being discouraged from the cotton buisness Whitney turned to manufacturing firearms, something that he also revolutionized. During that time period crasftsmen made unique muskets one at a time. If a musket brooke down its part would have to be individually made to fit the musket. Whitney decided to transform his arms factory in New Haven,Connecticut, to produce identicial musket parts so they would be interchangable, and easy to replace when broken.
 * In 1797 Whitney received a two year contract to supply the U.S government with 10,000 muskets. However, due to epidemics and supply problems, it took his factory ten years to fullfill the contract. Unlike the cotton gin Whitney's firearm production method was very successful. After his death on January 8,1825 his son, Eli Whitney, was placed in control of Whitney's arms plant. Jr. Whitney's methods were the base for an assembly line later in factory production.

﻿ //Fun Facts://

 * His birth name was actually Elias Whitney
 * He was the son of a farmer
 * It took him six years to get accepted into Yale, even at that it was because of financial support from his father
 * He married Henrietta Edwards on January 6, 1817
 * He was a father to four children

//Bibliography: //

 * Bellis, Mary. "The Cotton Gin - Eli Whitney." //Inventors//. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. [].
 * "Eli Whitney Biography (1765-1825)." //How Products Are Made//. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. [].
 * "Hall of Fame | Search | Inventor Profile." //Invent Now//. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. [].
 * Whitney, Eli. "Fun Facts about Eli Whitney, Inventor of the Cotton Gin and the Technique of Mass Producing Military Firearms." //Online Learning Haven, Homeschooling and Distance Learning Resource.// Web. 06 Mar. 2011. [].