This response needs to explain how they helped spread awareness of the cotton gin, the Underground Railroad, and the inhumanity of slavery.

The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 by Eli Whitney had a significant impact on slavery in the United States. Before its invention, removing seeds from cotton was a tedious and time-consuming process, which limited the profitability of cotton production. However, the cotton gin made it possible to clean cotton quickly and efficiently, resulting in a rapid expansion of cotton farming throughout the Southern states. Consequently, the demand for slave labor grew exponentially, as plantation owners sought to maximize their profits. Slavery became deeply entrenched in the Southern economy, leading to an increase in the number of enslaved people and the intensification of the harsh conditions they faced. The Underground Railroad was an informal network of safe houses and secret routes that assisted enslaved people in their escape to freedom in the northern states and Canada. It operated from the late 18th century through the Civil War. The conductors were individuals, both white and African American, who guided and supported the escapees on their journey. These conductors, which included notable figures like Harriet Tubman, helped them navigate between lines, or the various routes leading to freedom. Stations were safe houses owned by sympathetic individuals (often abolitionists) where the escapees could rest, eat, and hide from slave catchers. The fleeing individuals were referred to as freight, which emphasizes the secrecy and importance of the effort to help them reach freedom. Men like William Lloyd Garrison, Reverend Elijah P. Lovejoy, and Frederick Douglass played vital roles in the abolitionist movement, advocating for the end of slavery and promoting equal rights for African Americans. William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent white abolitionist who founded the American Anti-Slavery Society and published the influential anti-slavery newspaper, The Liberator. Reverend Lovejoy, another white abolitionist, used his status as a preacher to speak out against slavery and was also a newspaper editor, using his platform to advocate for the abolitionist cause. Tragically, he was killed by a pro-slavery mob in 1837, which further galvanized the movement. Frederick Douglass, a former enslaved person, became an influential abolitionist, speaker, and author after he escaped to freedom. His speeches, writings, and autobiographical works highlighted the brutal realities of slavery, garnering widespread support for the abolitionist cause and leading to greater advocacy for equal rights among African Americans.