How did technological innovations in textile mills affect the practice of slavery? faster and cheaper production of cloth raised the demand for cotton plants, which increased the need for enslaved workers on southern plantations. the increase of machinery in textile mills meant that large numbers of enslaved workers were needed to run the machines. as the number of machines in textile mills increased, fewer laborers were needed and the number of enslaved workers declined. new technologies in textile mills enabled more cloth to be made from less cotton, and the number of enslaved workers on cotton plantations decreased.