True or False? Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine for removing seeds from cotton.False! Eli Whitney was the first person to build a wire-toothed cotton gin. But Eli's gin was not the first machine of its kind. He made nails to earn money when he was a boyHe went to court to protect his wire-toothed cotton gin when others tried to build similar machines.He started his own musket-making business.