How Did cotton affect the growth of slaves?

Cotton significantly fueled the growth of slavery in the United States, particularly in the South, due to the high demand for cotton in both domestic and international markets. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 made cotton production more efficient, leading to increased cultivation and, consequently, a greater need for labor. This demand resulted in the expansion of plantations and the importation of more enslaved Africans to meet the labor requirements, entrenching slavery as an economic system. The profitability of cotton solidified slavery's role in the Southern economy, making it a deeply entrenched institution until the Civil War.