-
First European Factory
Establishment of factories by European powers along trade routes were explored by Portugal and Spain in the 17th century but were then explored by the Dutch and English. An example of this was the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602. -
Slavery in the U.S.A
The first 20 or so Africans were brought near a place called Jamestown in Virgina in 1619. Dutch traders had seized them from a captured Spanish slave ship. -
The first Steam Engine
The first steam engine was invented in 1698 by Thomas Savery. He was an English military engineer. It was based off the pressure cooker that was built in 1679 by Denis Papin.
At the time Thomas had been working on the issue of pumping water out of coal mines. -
Seed Drill
Jethro Tull invented the seed drill in 1701. It would sow seeds in rows and then cover them up. Before this invention it was done by hand. Jethro Tull considered ut wasteful because many seeds did not actcually take root.
The first seed drill was built using pedals from Tull's local church organ. -
Flying Shuttle
John Kay invented the flying shuttle inn 1733. It was an improvment to looms (enabled weavers to do jobs faster). The original shuttle had a bobbin on to which the weft, yarn was wound (the weft- crossways yarn). Normally pushed to one side of the warp (series of extended lengths way in the loom) to the other side by hand.
Large looms needed two weavers to throw the shuttle. The flying shuttle operated by leaver so it could be operated by one weaver. -
The Agricultural Revolution.
The Agricultural Revolution was a period of agricultural development between the 18th and 19th century. It began in 1750. There was a massive and rapid increase in agricultural productivity and vast improvment in farming technology. -
Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution went from 1760 to sometime between 120 to 1840. It was the period of time were people went from hand production to using machinery. It began in Great Britian and spread to Western Europe and the United States within a few decades. -
Spinning Jenny
The original Spinning Jenny used eight spindles instead of using just one on the spinning wheel. It was invented by James Hargreaves in 1764. It had high delivery soeed, low production costs and meant more business for the cotton industry. Because of the Spinning Jenny the Cottage Weaving industry ended and many people lost their jobs. -
United States Declaration of Independence
The Decleration of Independence for the United States stopped Britian from sending convicts there. The Decleration of Independence announced that the American colonies (which were at war with Britian) were to become independent states and not be part of the British empire. -
Captain Cooks discovery of 'Terra Nullius'
Captain Cook claimed the whole East Coast of Australia for Great Britian on April 29 1770. He originally called what is now Botany Bay 'Stingray Bay' but changed it after unique specimens were found by Botanists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solanders. -
Power Loom
The power loom was invented by Edmund Cartwright in 1785. It was a steam powered, mechnically operated version of the regular loom. The regular loom combined threads to make cloth. -
Arrival of the First Fleet
The First Fleet left Europe on the 13th of May 1787 and arrived in Botany Bay on the 18th of January 1788. It came to Australia to establish a new penal colony. There were 11 ships 3 of which were supply ships, 2 were navy vessels and 6 were convict transports. -
Settlement in Sydney
Captain Arthur Phillip chose to settle in Sydney cove instead of staying in Botany Bay because Sydney Cove offered secure anchorage and fresh water whereas Botany Bay offered neither. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was invented by Ely Whitney and revolutionised the cotton industry in the United States.
Before the invention it took hundred of hours to seperate the cotton seed from cotton fibres. Simple seed removing devices had been around for centuries but his invention of the cotton gin automated the seed seperation process.
His machine could generate up to 22.7kg (50 pounds) of cleaned cotton daily. It made cotton production proffitable in the Southern States. -
Interchangable parts
Ely Whitney created interchangable parts for guns.
The production cost for interchanable parts were low and they were also easier to make. Although the replacement and repair of guns was infinitely easier, the qualitity of them were not as efficient as handmade guns. -
Powermill
Cotton was spun and woven for thousands of years. When the Industrial Revolution came about and new machines were made they were too large for houses so they had to be kept in mills or factories that would emplor hundred of people.
The new inventions needed more power then human muscle so they started to rely on bulls, donkeys and horses instead.
Water was also used to power mills, although the mill had to be built next to water so that there was a constant flow -
Luddite Revolution
Luddites were 19th century English weavers. They protested against the newly developed labor-saving machinery from 1811-1817.
They were being put out of work because these machines could be run by less skilled and low wage workers.
The Luddites responded by organising to smash the machines. -
The Great Potato Famine
The Great Potato Famine started in 1845. It was a period of starvation, disease and emigration in Ireland. Approximately one million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland.
The islands population drpped by about 20-25%.
This was all caused by a potato disease called blight. The impact on Ireland was especially large because they relied on potatos for various reasons (e.g. social, economic, ethnic, ect.) -
Federation of Australia
When the six seperate self-governing colonies Queensland, West Australia, South Australia New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania for one nation.
They agreed on having a federal government that would be responsible for all matters concerning the nation. When the Constitution of Australia came into force, each of the colonies collectively became states of Commonwealth of Australia.
