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Eli Whitney

Male 1765 - 1825  (59 years)    Has 2 ancestors and 14 descendants in this family tree.

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  • Name Eli Whitney 
    Birth 8 Dec 1765 
    Gender Male 
    Prominent People USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Death 8 Jan 1825 
    Person ID I363354  Geneagraphie
    Links To This person is also Eli Whitney at Wikipedia 
    Last Modified 22 Jan 2002 

    Father Eli Whitney   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Mother Elizabeth Fay   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F144400  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Henriette Frances Edwards   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Children 
    +1. Eli Whitney, Jr.,   b. 1820   d. 1895 (Age 75 years)
     2. Frances Edwards Whitney,   b. 1817   d. 1859 (Age 42 years)
     3. Elizabeth Fay Whitney,   b. 1819   d. 1852 (Age 33 years)
     4. Susan Edwards Whitney,   b. 1819   d. 1852 (Age 33 years)
    Family ID F143938  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 14 Jan 2002 

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    Link to Google MapsProminent People - business, inventor, rich - - USA Link to Google Earth
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    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

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  • Notes 
    • Inventor, New Haven, Connecticut
      Is best remembered for his invention of the cotton gin, the device which allowed a fast cleaning of raw cotton and thereby laid the basis of profitable cotton growing in America. For his invention, Whitney received a patent in 1794, and set up a partnership with Phineas Miller and the widow of Nathaneal Greene of Georgia, to exploit the invention. Unable to meet demand and too late in their decision to license the product, the partners lost out to patent infringers and never made money with the cotton gin, although they eventually got some compensation from certain Southern states. Eli Whitney was virtually bankrupt in 1798, when he was awarded a contract from the US Government for the manufacturing of 10'000 muskets. This saved him and allowed his machine shop near New Haven to become a pioneer in mechanical manufacturing, using interchangeable parts, a first in armory industry.
      Eli Whitney secured other contracts with the Federal Governmant as well various State militias and Mill Rock, the site he had chosen to establish his factories, became Whitneyville. After a prolonged struggle and with the help of the Federal government, Eli Whitney prospered and became an important factor in New Haven, investing the wealth he derived from his machine shops in local banks, shipping enterprises and real estate. Eli Whitney married late in life and had a son and two daughters. At his death he left the management of his factories to his able nephew Eli Whitney Blake, until his son was old enough to succeed him.
      Fortune: 100,000 $ 1825
      Activity : Manufacturing
      Main property: Whitney Arms Co
      Other activities: investments
      Associated properties: Local banks, shipping ventures and real estate.



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