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Steam Engine
The history of the "modern" steam engine begins with James Watt. Ever since childhood, Watt has had a facination with steam power and in 1777, he made his own steam powered engine. -
Steamboat
Robert Fulton, accompanied by Robert Livingston, constructed a steambost to use on the Hudon River, eventhought the prototypes were built in Europe. -
Erie Canal
The canal is considerd the engineering marvel of the 19th century. After it was completed, it gave access to the land and resources west of the Appalachian Mountains. -
Railroads
John Stevens is considered the father of American railroads. His experimentation occuring in Hoboken, New Jersey, the railroad revolutionized American transportation. -
Mechanical Reaper
Invented by Cyrus McCormick in 1834, the mechanical reaper mechanically harvested crops in the farming industry. By inventing this machine, McCormick replaced the process of manually cutting the crop with sythes and sickles. -
Steel Plow
John Deere was just a typical blacksmith, but when he invented the steel plow, the Deere business was booming. -
Vulcanized Rubber
Invented by Charles Goodyear in Philadelphia, the vulcanization of rubber is one of history's most celebrated "accidents." Goodyear began to use sulfur in his experiments with rubber and ended up making a weatherproof rubber. He is remembered through Goodyear tires and the Goodyear blimp. -
Telegraph
Invented by Alessandro Volta, the telegraph revolutionized long distance communication. Due to cell phones, there is no need to still use the telegraph today, but it was the most common form of long distance communication in the 1840s. -
Morse Code
The only form of communication that can be transmitted through a telegraph is Morse Code. It assigned the letters of the alphabet to a series of dots and dashes. The telegraph was able to print them on paper, but the paper was replaced with loud beeping noises. -
Sewing Machine
Elias Howe, inventor of the sewing machine, was born with a physical disability; it was a type of lameness. Because of this, his wife made a living sewing, where he realized that the sewing machine would solve his family's financial problems.
