Eli Whitney died of prostate cancer in New Haven, Connecticut, at the age of 59. This marked the end of the life of an influential inventor whose cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry and inadvertently strengthened slavery, while his advocacy for interchangeable parts contributed to the advancement of manufacturing.

Eli Whitney secured a contract with the U.S. government to manufacture 10,000 to 15,000 muskets. This event signifies Whitney's shift from cotton gin manufacturing to arms production, driven by financial needs and the government's push for military preparedness.