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The Story of Eli Whitney
Newbery Award-winning author tells the story of the man whose inventive genius made cotton king in America and in the world. Eli Whitney transformed the textile industry with his invention of the cotton gin; and he revolutionized the manufacturing process around the world with his creation of standardized parts.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
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319 people want to read
About the author
Jean Lee Latham
67 books67 followersBorn on April 19th, Jean Lee Latham grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia. She attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she wrote plays and operated the county newspaper’s linotype machine. She earned a master’s degree at Cornell University. While completing her degree, Ms. Latham taught English, history, and drama at Ithaca.
Once she graduated, she became editor-in-chief of the Dramatic Publishing Company in Chicago. She worked hard to become a radio writer, but WWII changed her plans. She signed up for the US Signal Corps Inspection Agency, where she trained women inspectors. The U.S. War Department gave her a Silver Wreath for her work.
After D-Day, Ms. Latham made the decision to write biographies for children. Her first book was The Story of Eli Whitney, published in 1953. Her third book, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, earned the Newbery Medal in 1956.
Playwright, author, and teacher, Ms. Latham died on June 13, 1995, at the age of 93. Her manuscripts are housed in the Children’s Literature Research Collection at the University of Minnesota.
Once she graduated, she became editor-in-chief of the Dramatic Publishing Company in Chicago. She worked hard to become a radio writer, but WWII changed her plans. She signed up for the US Signal Corps Inspection Agency, where she trained women inspectors. The U.S. War Department gave her a Silver Wreath for her work.
After D-Day, Ms. Latham made the decision to write biographies for children. Her first book was The Story of Eli Whitney, published in 1953. Her third book, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, earned the Newbery Medal in 1956.
Playwright, author, and teacher, Ms. Latham died on June 13, 1995, at the age of 93. Her manuscripts are housed in the Children’s Literature Research Collection at the University of Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 5, 2020
This biography was pretty readable and moved along quickly. I did learn a few things about what the cotton gin was and got a better idea for what it did for the US during this time. I also enjoyed the portrait of Eli's perseverance and courage. Since this is a fictionalized biography, it did help the time period come alive fairly well. But it also meant that sometimes characters were used to "insert" information into the text, which could be a bit awkward, but might not matter as much to a younger reader.
This was written in the 50s, so it includes the use of the word "negro," and a couple negative, unchallenged comments about women's mental capacity.
This was written in the 50s, so it includes the use of the word "negro," and a couple negative, unchallenged comments about women's mental capacity.
May 22, 2022
His perseverance in the face of adversity is admirable and inspiring to young and old alike!
November 27, 2021
While this novel does cover the main events of Eli Whitney's life and his major innovations, it rambles from third person omniscient to first person, and even to second person as the author periodically feels the need to directly address the reader about things. The third person omniscient point of view is not well-executed, either--the book is mostly written from Whitney's point of view but strays into other characters' thoughts and feelings periodically but not in any consistent way. The time-skips in the story can be disorienting. For example, Whitney doesn't want to marry yet because he can't afford to support a family, even though there's a young woman who is interested in him. The next chapter then skips a couple of years and suddenly he's married to that same young woman without any discussion of that event occurring.
While I can appreciate that the book was originally published in the 1950s and thus the author's ability to research Whitney's life would have been limited to what sources would have been available in libraries and that more research is available today, it still comes across as fairly naive when it comes to the impact Whitney's work had on the US. There's a brief paragraph where it's acknowledged that the cotton gin made slavery in the South more profitable, but all the slaveholders in the story are written as "good" slaveholders who take care of their slaves. One character frees all her slaves after her husband's death, which, while commendable, doesn't take away from how her family benefited from slave labour for decades before that. Whitney is portrayed as feeling some qualms about the institution of slavery, but this is written as only a brief moment. The environmental consequences of both the cotton gin (overfarming the land for cotton which is a water and fertilizer intensive crop) and the interchangeable parts in manufacturing (pollution, the exploitation of workers in the industrial revolution) are completely ignored. Whitney's inventions are framed as a net good when the reality is far more complex than that.
I know this is intended to be a children's historical novel, but the lack of nuance and poor writing means that it's certainly not one that I would hand to my child.
While I can appreciate that the book was originally published in the 1950s and thus the author's ability to research Whitney's life would have been limited to what sources would have been available in libraries and that more research is available today, it still comes across as fairly naive when it comes to the impact Whitney's work had on the US. There's a brief paragraph where it's acknowledged that the cotton gin made slavery in the South more profitable, but all the slaveholders in the story are written as "good" slaveholders who take care of their slaves. One character frees all her slaves after her husband's death, which, while commendable, doesn't take away from how her family benefited from slave labour for decades before that. Whitney is portrayed as feeling some qualms about the institution of slavery, but this is written as only a brief moment. The environmental consequences of both the cotton gin (overfarming the land for cotton which is a water and fertilizer intensive crop) and the interchangeable parts in manufacturing (pollution, the exploitation of workers in the industrial revolution) are completely ignored. Whitney's inventions are framed as a net good when the reality is far more complex than that.
I know this is intended to be a children's historical novel, but the lack of nuance and poor writing means that it's certainly not one that I would hand to my child.
September 29, 2022
This story was a well written and enjoyable record of the life and inventions of Eli Whitney. It was a good conversation starter for my family on how his inventions changed our country both for the good and the bad.
George - 5/5. Favorite character - Eli Whitney, because he is extremely crafty. Favorite part - when he realized that life wasn’t just about numbers, that you need to slow down and see the beauty too.
Jilly - 10/10. Extra super duper awesome book. Favorite character - Eli Whitney, because he is so motivated, and we wouldn’t be the same country if he hadn’t existed. Favorite part - when he had his son with him in his workshop.
Dottie - 5/5. I learned a lot from this one. Favorite character, Eli Whitney, he was the main focus of the story and therefore the only one who we got to know in depth. But also because he will “keep on keeping on.” Favorite part - when Eli was finally able to show down and enjoy the fruits of all his hard labor.
George - 5/5. Favorite character - Eli Whitney, because he is extremely crafty. Favorite part - when he realized that life wasn’t just about numbers, that you need to slow down and see the beauty too.
Jilly - 10/10. Extra super duper awesome book. Favorite character - Eli Whitney, because he is so motivated, and we wouldn’t be the same country if he hadn’t existed. Favorite part - when he had his son with him in his workshop.
Dottie - 5/5. I learned a lot from this one. Favorite character, Eli Whitney, he was the main focus of the story and therefore the only one who we got to know in depth. But also because he will “keep on keeping on.” Favorite part - when Eli was finally able to show down and enjoy the fruits of all his hard labor.
February 28, 2024
3.5*, I was enjoying this history read aloud and learning about Eli Whitney and his life but it was a confusing transition from chapter 8 to 9. I felt we missed a chunk of something and from then on it felt a little choppy as it went from event to event, often skipping many years.
Apart from that I enjoyed learning about something I knew little about and the hard times that plagued Mr. Whitney. I found it interesting his invention hadn't intended to make more work but, it not only did that, it increased the demand for slavery to do it. He was a hard worker and I liked that he would often talk about something fantastic being something that hadn't been done yet but could be.
Apart from that I enjoyed learning about something I knew little about and the hard times that plagued Mr. Whitney. I found it interesting his invention hadn't intended to make more work but, it not only did that, it increased the demand for slavery to do it. He was a hard worker and I liked that he would often talk about something fantastic being something that hadn't been done yet but could be.
July 9, 2025
Jean Lee Latham takes history and relates it like a gripping novel. My kids and I were enthralled. I will say that she uses older (now unacceptable) language to name/describe black people. The story takes place before the Civil War and some characters are slaves, but by the end of the story it is clear that Latham doesn’t approve of slavery.
July 3, 2020
Very good story on the life of a great inventor, the struggles associated with that life and the impact on the nation and slavery.
March 13, 2022
Enjoyable to learn this history, what life was like, and who was this man, Eli Whitney!
April 21, 2021
it was bad...
May 17, 2012
I read this non-fiction biography aloud to my children.
I have to admit that I had never heard of Eli Whitney before I picked up this book! His invention, the "cotton 'gin" built in 1793, was the first of its kind to separate the seeds from the cotton bolls. Until that time, cotton was not a popular crop in the South because it took too much work. It would take all day just to seed one pound of cotton! Unfortunately, his invention was stolen and the thief started building and selling pirated machines before Eli could obtain a patent. When he did finally receive the patent, there were so many pirated machines on the market that he did not see any profit. He went to court in an effort to stop the imitation machines from being built, but it was a long battle.
Meanwhile, Eli was busy on his second invention: Producing musket parts from guides so that all pieces could be made uniformly. Until this time, blacksmiths handmade each musket so when one part of the musket stopped working, it could not easily be fixed because the parts were not interchangeable. In 1801, Eli built guns that could be mass produced using guides. It also was no longer necessary for the work to only be done by blacksmiths, since now all an able-bodied person needed to do was use the guide for each piece.
After more than 13 years, Eli finally won the rights to the cotton 'gin patent. The only problem was that a patent only ran for 14 years. As a result, he did not amass great profits or wealth off this amazing invention during the final year of the patent, but that was not important to Eli. He used the money that he acquired to build homes for his workmen.
Eli was a man of great perseverance, dedication, and generosity. My children and I learned a lot about this man's character, and he is an excellent role model.
MY RATING: 4 stars!! It was very good, and we would recommend it!
I have to admit that I had never heard of Eli Whitney before I picked up this book! His invention, the "cotton 'gin" built in 1793, was the first of its kind to separate the seeds from the cotton bolls. Until that time, cotton was not a popular crop in the South because it took too much work. It would take all day just to seed one pound of cotton! Unfortunately, his invention was stolen and the thief started building and selling pirated machines before Eli could obtain a patent. When he did finally receive the patent, there were so many pirated machines on the market that he did not see any profit. He went to court in an effort to stop the imitation machines from being built, but it was a long battle.
Meanwhile, Eli was busy on his second invention: Producing musket parts from guides so that all pieces could be made uniformly. Until this time, blacksmiths handmade each musket so when one part of the musket stopped working, it could not easily be fixed because the parts were not interchangeable. In 1801, Eli built guns that could be mass produced using guides. It also was no longer necessary for the work to only be done by blacksmiths, since now all an able-bodied person needed to do was use the guide for each piece.
After more than 13 years, Eli finally won the rights to the cotton 'gin patent. The only problem was that a patent only ran for 14 years. As a result, he did not amass great profits or wealth off this amazing invention during the final year of the patent, but that was not important to Eli. He used the money that he acquired to build homes for his workmen.
Eli was a man of great perseverance, dedication, and generosity. My children and I learned a lot about this man's character, and he is an excellent role model.
MY RATING: 4 stars!! It was very good, and we would recommend it!
October 8, 2021
Overall we loved this story, another checkmark in the list of willingness to read Landmark History books. We were reading this one as it was a recommendation with Sonlight D/BookShark 3 Introduction to American History part 1. It is also a recommendation from TGTB History 4 and we have a second copy published by TGTB as well as this one republished from the original Landmark by Avyx. It was a long time coming, but it was never boring each time we picked up the story. So much happened. It definitely had a flare that reminded us of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by the same author. An incredible figure of history undergoing unimaginable hardships of defeat to just get up and succeed again and again. I wish I had such fortitude, but perhaps my children will because they now have such examples as Eli Whitney and Captain Bowditch. These are the heroes that make me inspired and thrilled to hold claim to being an American. I wonder if my ancestors crossed paths with these incredible shadows of the past.
January 16, 2016
I really enjoyed this story. I'm always looking for people worth emulation, and Eli Whitney definitely falls in that category. Great lessons in work and determination.
Latham weaves in some wonderful motivating life lessons, like how "Every great man was yesterday's nobody." They are pretty blatant, but I don't think it's terrible to have messages like that thrown at you.
We also get a great picture of the history of his time, especially national struggles and how his inventions were important within those.
Latham weaves in some wonderful motivating life lessons, like how "Every great man was yesterday's nobody." They are pretty blatant, but I don't think it's terrible to have messages like that thrown at you.
We also get a great picture of the history of his time, especially national struggles and how his inventions were important within those.
February 25, 2011
Excellent Young Adult/Children's biography on the inventor. His life was so much more than the cotton gin. He invented movable parts for rifles and thus revolutionized the factory system. His story was a study on disappointment, failure, but ultimately victory through perseverance. Very inspiring.
April 4, 2017
Such an interesting story about Eli Whitney. I had never realized all of the trouble he had over the years with his patents and inventions. I vaguely remember it being briefly mentioned in my elementary and high school history classes.
October 28, 2016
Rich in historical detail, this is an interesting biography for young people of Eli Whitney, renowned for inventing the cotton gin (short for 'engine' and patented 1794) and using machines to create interchangeable parts for muskets.
March 18, 2010
This was a really good book! Had no idea all the work Whitney put in to his things and all the steps backwards he had in the process.
July 9, 2012
I love Eli's perseverance and determination. He was a great early American man who we can all learn much from, whether we invent things or not.
March 20, 2013
Great book - kids loved it, and so did I!
October 10, 2013
I read this aloud to my kids. We all loved it! It is a great introduction to Whitney's life and his work. I highly recommend this book!
March 6, 2015
Read this aloud to my kids. It's amazing how little Eli Whitney profited from one of the most famous inventions of all time.
June 12, 2015
Favorite Character: Eli Whitney
October 29, 2016
Great book, easy to read and engaging. Learned so much more about this great man.
December 2, 2016
I was interested in this book a long time ago. But when I read this book I thought it was very boring.
It did not tell me more about my interests.I did not like this book.
It did not tell me more about my interests.I did not like this book.
May 3, 2017
A short biography detailing the life of Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, interchangeable parts of a musket lock and mass production principles.
He was a young man who wanted to do well in school but didn't. He was slow there and no one but his father seemed to believe in him.
I loved this exchange between his stepsister and himself referring to a teaching job he had secured:
***
"Do they know how dumb you are?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, Hannah," Eli said quietly. "I told them that I was not a very quick student. And do you know what one man said? He said that sometimes a slow learner made a good teacher. He has more patience. I think I'll do all right, if I work hard enough."
***
He did not do only what was easy. He did what he believed he could to move forward even when obstacle after obstacle moved into his way. People copied his invention for the cotton gin and fighting for the patent wasn't easy or short.
Funds for inventions didn't come right away. Neither did patents. Yellow fever spread through areas which limited his workforce to produce cotton gins or procure iron and gun barrels as he had promised.
Life doesn't go easy on anyone. But not giving up opens more opportunities, though maybe not in the ways anticipated. Eli Whitney's life was a testament to that.
He was a young man who wanted to do well in school but didn't. He was slow there and no one but his father seemed to believe in him.
I loved this exchange between his stepsister and himself referring to a teaching job he had secured:
***
"Do they know how dumb you are?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, Hannah," Eli said quietly. "I told them that I was not a very quick student. And do you know what one man said? He said that sometimes a slow learner made a good teacher. He has more patience. I think I'll do all right, if I work hard enough."
***
He did not do only what was easy. He did what he believed he could to move forward even when obstacle after obstacle moved into his way. People copied his invention for the cotton gin and fighting for the patent wasn't easy or short.
Funds for inventions didn't come right away. Neither did patents. Yellow fever spread through areas which limited his workforce to produce cotton gins or procure iron and gun barrels as he had promised.
Life doesn't go easy on anyone. But not giving up opens more opportunities, though maybe not in the ways anticipated. Eli Whitney's life was a testament to that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews