Eli Whitney (1765-1825), American inventor and manufacturer, born in Westborough, Massachusetts. He is credited with the invention of the Egrenier machine (1793), with which cotton fibres could be separated from seeds and bolls. This dramatically increased the amount of cotton that could be processed per day and revolutionised the American cotton industry. Equally important was the introduction of interchangeable parts, an innovation that led to mass production and the manufacture of cheap goods in the 19th century. From The century Magazine (New York, 1887) ., digitally restored reproduction from a 19th century original, record date not stated