-
The Steam Engine is Invented
Thomas Newcomen developed the first successful steam engine. It was able to produce mechanical work using steam. -
The First Factories
Factory owners wanted to use their machines constantly in order to produce the most products and make the most money. Workers had to work in shift in order for the machines to keep producing at a steady rate. -
The Flying Shuttle
John Kay's invention made weaving faster. This was an important step toward automatic weaving. -
Spinning Jenny
This was invented by James Hargreaves in order to produce more thread from spinners. -
James Watt improves the Steam Engine
This enable the engine to drive machinery. Steam power was now used to spin and weave cotton. The increased the production of British cotton cloth dramatically. -
Henry Cort develops Puddling
This process used coke from coal in order to burn away impurities in crude iron. This then produced high quality iron making the British iron industry boom. -
Power Loom
Edmund Cartwright invented a water-powered loom that made it possible for weavers to use all the thread that spinners could produce. It made the weaving process faster by using water power instead of human power. -
The Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney's machine made it easier to separate cotton seeds from cotton fiber. This reduced the time to clean cotton and brought more money to the Southern United States. -
First Steam Locomotive
Richard Trevithick's locomotive was able to run on an industrial rail-line in Britain. It was not the most efficient locomotive but it paved the way for improved ones. -
The Blucher
The first successful flanged-wheel locomotive was built by George Stephenson. It was able to run on top of the rail instead of in the sunken tracks. -
First True Railroad
The Stockton and Darlington made it possible for faster transportation of goods between towns without the need of a water source. This caused massive economic growth during the 1800's in Britain. -
The Rocket
This locomotive was the first to be able to reach speeds up to 16 mph. It inspired improvements that made locomotives faster and railroads longer. -
The Telegraph
Samuel Morse's invention allowed short messages to be sent along a wire. This was a significant improvement of communication. -
Sewing Machine
Elias Howe and Isaac Merritt Singer are credited with inventing the first successful sewing machine. It allowed clothes to be made in factories rather than at home by hand. -
European Population Growth
During the Industrial Revolution Europe's population nearly doubled to 266 million. Since the economic growth made more food and jobs available ,wars and epidemics were less frequent. This reduced the death rates. -
Elevator Safety Break
Although elevators were already invented, they were not guaranteed to be safe and people were worried about elevator cars falling. Elisha Otis's invention prevented this from happening if a cable were to break. -
The Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell was the first person to get a patent for the telephone. The ability to speak to people over a telephone wire greatly changed how the world communicates. -
Incandescent Light Bulb
Thomas Edison is credited with creating the first commercially successful incandescent light bulb. Even though this wasn't the first light bulb, it was able to last longer than any of the other ones. Edison showed it off by lighting a lamp which made it more efficient fro people to work at night. -
First Powered Airplane
Orville and Wilbur Wright's invention was the first plane that was not powered by wind. This was a huge step forward in transportation and led to the inventions of more efficient airplanes. -
The Model T
Henry Ford was not the first to invent an automobile but his Model T was the most successful. Since it was built on an assembly line, it was cheaper which allowed more people to purchase it.
