How did Eli Whitney's invention change farming in the south?

Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793 revolutionized farming in the South by significantly increasing the efficiency of cotton processing. This machine allowed one worker to process up to 50 times more cotton than by hand, making cotton a highly profitable cash crop. As a result, the demand for slave labor increased to cultivate and harvest the expanded cotton fields, entrenching the institution of slavery in the Southern economy. Consequently, Whitney's invention played a crucial role in shaping the agricultural landscape and economic structures of the antebellum South.