Why was the South unable to respond to growing British demand for cotton prior to the 1790s?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The type of cotton that grew well in the South, specifically the short-staple cotton, was difficult to process because its seeds were hard to remove from the raw cotton. This process was labor-intensive and time-consuming until the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793, which significantly reduced the time and labor needed to clean cotton. This invention made it feasible to meet the growing British demand for cotton.

Why Was the South Unable to Respond to Growing British