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Industrialization Begins in America
Industrialization started in the late 18th centruy with textile production which allowed post-revolutionary America to eventually blossom into a strong and influential industrial power. -
Sewing Machine Created
Invented by Thomas Saint, this item allowed for an increase in efficiency and productivity in the textile industry. This invention was not only convenient, but it also provided a crucial precedent for the rest of the Industrial Revolution -machines can do it faster, quicker, and cheaper. -
The Dawn of American Ecological Achievement
Prior to this era, most scientific achievement was seen only in Europe, but now many American scientists like Matthew Maury (ocean currents and winds), Benjamin Silliman, (chemistry and geology), Louis Agassiz (biology), and John Audubon (birds) started to make contributions in environmental science. -
Eli Whitney Invents the Cotton Gin
The cotton gin revolutionized the way cotton was picked. It sperated the seeds from the cotton quicker and faster then any human could. These extra seeds allowed for the growth of even more cotton and the use of even more slaves - "Cotton became King". -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Not only did Lewis and Clark map a great expanse of the Liousiana Territory, they also had the opportunity to study many different people and animals, which consequently spurred scientific development. -
Pike's Explorations
Also, like Lewis and Clark, Pike got the opportunitry to study and learn from the Louisiana Territory, which included the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, and the mountain later to be named after himself, Pike's Peak. -
Completion of Erie Canal
The Erie Canal was the first man-made waterway to connect Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie. This human-built waterway demonstrated man's ability to tame nature. -
George Catlin Advocates the Idea of a National Park
Concerned for both the preservation of the Indians and the buffalo, Catlin proposed the creation of a national park. This idea later induced the creation of a national park system, beginning with Yellowstone Park in 1872. -
Cyrus McCormick Invents the Mechanical Mower-reaper
This innovation allowed a single husbandman to do the work of five men with sickles and scythes. This transformed humble plowmen in to ambitious capitalists, replacing subsistence farming for more large-scale agriculture. -
John Deere Develops Steel Plow
Invented to counteract the thick matted soil of the West, the steel plow, unlike its wooden counterpart, didn't get snagged and snap in the rough western soil. This enabled cultivation and ultimately contributed to the opening of the West. -
Brook Farm is Founded
Bork Farm, started in 1841 by George Ripley and Sophia Ripley in Massachusetts, tested man's ability to balance labor and leisure, live off the land, and live in communal societies. Sadly, this community ultimatley failed because of its inability to profit from its agricultural pursuits. -
Potato Famine in Ireland
The Great Famine in Ireland was triggered by a disease commonly known as potato blight which caused most of the county's potato crops to die. Because one-third of the population was soley dependent on the potato for food, many people also died. Sadly, Ireland's famine gives all Americans a warning - diversify or die. -
Walden (Life in the Woods) is Published
Written by Henry David Thoreau, Walden shows how simple living and self-sufficiency can allow one to learn more about themselve and nature. -
ASPCA created
Henry Bergh founded the ASPCA on April 10, 1866 in New York City. This organization was founded to stop the injustices animals face across the United States. This organization shows that people are concerned not for only the environment but also for the animals in it. -
Transcontinental Raildroad joined near Ogden, Utah
The Pacific Railroad finished in 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad finally ended the legendary wild West and united the eastern United States with its western complement. -
Mushrooming Population Causes Disease, and Slums
Because of the mass immigration from Europe many of the American cities began to grow exponentially. This influx of population caused the cityscape to become a complete eye sore - water was impure, garbage was not uncollected, disease ran freely, and excrement was abundant. -
Yellow Stone National Park is Founded
Catlin's dream finally came true. America's first national park was founded by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. This national park is know worldwide for its wildlife, geothermal features, and Old Faith full. This act still allows scientist around the world to study the largest remaining, nearly intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone. -
Proposal of a National Park Service
In 1911, Senator Read Smoot of Utah and Representative John E. Raker of California submitted bills to establish the National Park Service to oversee the management of the environment. Sadly, these bills were opposed by the director of the U.S. Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, and his supporters. Even though those bills were denied, it shows that concern for the environment is forever growing.
