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Electric Vacuum Cleaner
The renovation of the electric vacuum made it so that a household could own their own vacuum. Previous electric vacuums were the size of a horse carriage and could not be kept in the home. This technology made cleaning floors and homes much quicker than with a broom and dustpan. More time spent away from cleaning meant more time for women to spend in their selected activities. -
Electric Clothes Washer
The first electric clothes washer made cleaning clothes less manually intensive and less time intensive. The time and energy women saved by using an electric washer (though still not fully automatic) would allow them to spend more time attending to other tasks in the home. -
Ford Model T
Because of the revolutionary Model T car, families could travel more quickly. This car also allowed middle class families to afford a car for the first time. No longer were horses the main mode of transportation. This technology made it possible for families to travel for leisure. -
Electric Toaster
Another invention that changed the way food was cooked, saving time and energy while turning to electricity. -
Self-Contained Electric Refrigerator
The refrigerator allowed families to keep food longer and to store cooked food for left over meals. This innovation would help families manage their food resources for longer periods of time, saving them money. -
Modern Air Conditioning
Though fans and other methods of cooling were available, the invention of the modern air conditioner made it more desirable for families to move to climates that were once thought of as "too hot". This changed where families lived, and gave opportunity for Sen Belt cities to grow. -
Handheld Hairdryer
The handheld, electric hair dryer allowed women to get dry their hair at home after bathing and get ready more quickly so they could attend to other household tasks. -
Electric Blender
The electric blender made chopping and pureeing foods a quick and easy task which would have been more difficult before its invention. -
Television
The invention of the television began to change the way families interacted with one another, spent free time, and received information -
Penicillin
Fighting off infections with the discovery of Penicillin helped lengthen lifespans. As family members lived longer, they could contribute more to the household and families could fight off infections faster, helping them get back to their routines. -
TV Dinners
Processed, frozen meals have forever changed the way families eat and experience their dinner. Meal preparation times were significantly cut with the introduction of the TV Dinner. -
Domestic Microwave Oven
Bringing microwave ovens into household kitchens made cooking much less time consuming. Meal preperation times were cut significantly for families and the food they ate began to change as well. -
Birth Control Pill
The FDA approval of the birth control pill allowed women and families to decide when they would have children and how many they would have. Families could better manage their resources with fewer children, and financially plan for more children if they wished. -
Drip Coffee Maker
Automatic, drip coffee made making and drinking coffee much faster and easier. -
Personal Computers
The introduction of computers into the household opened the door for many other technologies. Computers of this time offered access to games, email, and printing. -
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web allows people to access a plethora of information and communication through their computer or device. This created a new form of communication for families and communities, and has integrated family life and community life, even on a global scale. -
Electric Breast Pump
Though other breast pumps were used previously, the first electric breast pump made pumping easier. Making pumping easier allows nursing mothers to more easily work outside the home, away from their babies. -
Smart Phones
The introduction of the Blackberry Devices allowed users to make voice calls, send messages via SMS, send/receive emails, browse the web, and store up to 16MB of data. Smart phones have changed the way people communicate and access information. -
Facebook
Facebook allows families and friends to communicate over long distances. They can share information, photos, videos, and messages making it easier to stay in contact with out-of-town relatives or friends.
