What invention enabled an economic boom in the South and created a demand for new land?

The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 revolutionized cotton processing, greatly increasing the efficiency of separating cotton fibers from seeds. This innovation made cotton cultivation highly profitable, leading to a significant economic boom in the Southern United States. As a result, there was a heightened demand for new land to expand cotton plantations, which in turn intensified the reliance on slave labor.