Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin Patent — and Its Terrible Irony
On March 14, 1794, Eli Whitney received a patent for the cotton gin, an invention meant to ease labor that instead fueled the brutal expansion of slavery.
Tales from the year 1794
The Oath in the Market Square: Poland's Last Stand Begins
On March 24, 1794, Tadeusz Kościuszko swore an oath in Kraków's market square — and launched Poland's doomed, glorious fight for freedom.
The Revolution Eats Its Maker
On July 28, 1794, Maximilien Robespierre — the architect of the Reign of Terror — was guillotined in Paris, ending the bloodiest chapter of the French Revolution.