Eli Whitney
1765 – 1825

Eli Whitney

American inventor (1765-1825)

tax collectorinventormechanicentrepreneurengineer
Born
1765-12-08, Westborough
Died
1825-01-08
Birthplace state
Massachusetts

Biography

Eli Whitney was born in Westborough, Massachusetts in 1765 and worked as a tax collector, inventor, mechanic, entrepreneur, engineer, and politician. He invented the cotton gin in 1793, a device that made upland short cotton profitable as a crop. Whitney lost substantial profits defending his cotton gin patent against infringement claims, after which he obtained government contracts to manufacture muskets for the United States Army. He continued making arms and inventing until his death in 1825.

Occupation

Eli Whitney is recorded as a tax collector, a inventor, a mechanic, a entrepreneur, a engineer and a politician, born in Massachusetts (1765–1825).

Connections to Massachusetts

Eli Whitney was born in Westborough, Massachusetts in 1765. Explore other notable figures from Massachusetts, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Eli Whitney came from Westborough. A full Aubrey report on Westborough pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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More notable figures from Massachusetts

Other historical figures born in Massachusetts, ranked by historical prominence.

John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
president of the United States from 1961 to 1963 (1917–1963)
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
American writer and literary critic (1809–1849)
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
American polymath and statesman (1706–1790)
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 (1924-2018)
John Adams
John Adams
Founding Father, U.S. president from 1797 to 1801
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
President of the United States from 1825 to 1829
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American philosopher (1803–1882)

Frequently asked about Eli Whitney

Who was Eli Whitney?
Eli Whitney was American inventor (1765-1825), born in Massachusetts (1765 – 1825).
When and where was Eli Whitney born?
Eli Whitney was born on 1765-12-08 in Westborough.
When did Eli Whitney die?
Eli died on 1825-01-08.
What was Eli Whitney known for?
Eli Whitney is recorded as a tax collector, a inventor, a mechanic, a entrepreneur, a engineer and a politician.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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