Kyrene School District



“Inventions of the Industrial Revolution”Written by: Robin LOne of the most important and productive periods of history was the Industrial Revolution. Many of the inventions made during this time make our everyday life possible. Below is a list of some of the most important:Steam EngineJames Watt created the first truly reliable steam engine in 1775. Other, less efficient models had been developed in the 1600s. Watt’s version included a crankshaft and gears and is the foundation for modern steam engines. This invention made train transportation and the use many of the textile machines possible. Later engines were powered by coal and eventually electricity.ReaperReapers were machines developed in the early 1800s to help farmers both cut and harvest grain without doing it by hand. The first commercially successful reaper was built in 1831 by Virginia-born inventor Cyrus McCormick. This dramatically cut down on the number of people needed to complete farm work, which then allowed young people to go work in factories and allow the Industrial Revolution to grow.TelegraphSamuel F. B. Morse created the telegraph in 1836. This invention changed the face of communication. Instant communication became possible between the east and west coasts and allowed people to know what was happening almost as it happened. This would revolutionize media and personal communication – eventually leading to text messaging in the modern-day world.Sewing MachineElias Howe created the sewing machine in 1844. This forever changed the way clothes were made and allowed the mass production of clothing. Before this it was most common for women to make all of the clothes for their families. Only the very wealthy could afford to have a tailor or seamstress make custom clothing of the latest fashion. It was later improved upon and patented by Isaac Singer in 1855.ElevatorThe elevator allowed for the construction of tall buildings. Elisha Otis is generally known as the inventor of the modern elevator. In 1852, Otis came up with a design that had a safety brake. Otis went on to found his own elevator company, which installed the first public elevator in a New York building in 1874. The Otis Elevator Company is still known today as the world's largest elevator manufacturer. TelephoneAlexander Graham Bell created the telephone in 1876. The first phone call was made from Bell to his assistant, where he shouted, “Mr. Watson – come here – I want to see you!” The telephone further improved communications and eventually led to the various communications devices used today.PhonographThomas Edison created the phonograph in 1877. Prior to the creation of the phonograph the only option for entertainment was for live musicians or actors to perform. This allowed people to listen to music anywhere, and eventually lead to portable music players such as the iPod.Light BulbHistorians agree that Thomas Edison was not the inventor of the electric light bulb, but he did produce the first commercially viable one. Edison is known for discovering a carbon filament to burn within the bulb in 1879. Earlier light bulbs were experimented with as far back as 1802; and there were 23 others who had invented light bulbs, some of whom were still working on them at the time of Edison’s work.Electric MotorIn 1888 Nikola Tesla invented the induction motor with rotating magnetic field that made unit drives for machines feasible and made AC power transmission an economic necessity. Tesla also tested and predicted the use of wireless electronic devices in future societies. AutomobileThere are many different types of automobiles - steam, electric, and gasoline - as well as countless styles. Exactly who invented the automobile is a matter of opinion. If we had to give credit to one inventor, it would probably be Karl Benz from Germany. Many suggest that he created the first true automobile in 1885/1886. Henry Ford later mass-produced automobiles to create the car industry.AirplaneBrothers Orville and Wilbur Wright created the first airplane, which they flew on December 17th, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The plane flew for 59 seconds at went 852 feet. The ability to fly had long been a dream of the human race. Within a few decades planes had changed the face of personal and business travel and had dramatically altered warfare. There are now 100,000 flights per day worldwide. ................
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