Eli+Whitney+and+the+Cotton+Gin

Use the document found at http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/cotton-gin-patent/ to complete the Document Analysis Sheet found at http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/document.html.

After you have completed the worksheet, answer the questions below in complete sentences.

1. Why was the petition addressed to the Senate and the House? 2. What is a memorialist? 3. Why did Whitney write this in the third person? What promise does he think was made to him by the government in the patent acts it passed under Article I, Section 8, Clause 8? 4. Why does he feel the government has not fulfilled its promise to him? 5. Are you moved by his plight? Why or why not? 6. Why did Whitney leave out all reference to the growth of slavery in his petition?

** Designed and developed by the **** The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001 Telephone: 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272
 * Education Staff, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408. ** **

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