This Week In Black History March 13-19, 2024

& MARCH 13 1794—Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin—a device that made cotton production much more profitable by more efficiently separating the seed from the cot­ton. The invention had the effect of extending the life of slavery in the South. However, there re­mains a historical dispute as to whether Whitney actually invent­ed the cotton gin as most history books claim. There is some evi­dence that Whitney’s entire idea was based on a device devel­oped by slaves laboring on the Georgia plantation of Catherine Green. Whitney, a lawyer, worked briefly for Green and it was while working for her that he allegedly invented the cotton gin. 1868—The impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson began in the United States Sen­ate. The ultimate failure to con­vict and oust Johnson from the presidency was a major setback for the recently freed slaves. Even though he was Abraham Lincoln’s vice president, John­son actually favored the former slave owners and the continua­tion of White power in the South. He was also opposed to Blacks having the right to vote. Although the impeachment and trial weak­ened him, his continuation as president helped pave the way for the emerging power of the Ku Klux Klan and the denial...