Why did the invention of the cotton gin increase the demand for enslaved enslaved people?

The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 dramatically increased the efficiency of cotton processing, allowing for the rapid separation of cotton fibers from seeds. This efficiency made cotton a highly profitable crop, spurring southern planters to expand their cotton production. As a result, the demand for labor to cultivate and harvest the cotton fields surged, leading to an increased reliance on enslaved people to meet this growing agricultural need. Consequently, the cotton gin inadvertently reinforced and expanded the institution of slavery in the United States.