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Jethro Tull Invents the Seed Drill
Jethro Tull was one of the first scientific farmers. He saw that the way of spreading seeds, scattering them around, was wasteful so he came up with his own idea. His invention, the seed drill, allowed farmers to sow seeds in well-spaced rows at specific depths and boosted crop production. -
John Kay invents the flying shuttle.
The flying shuttle speeds back and forth on wheels and is a boat-shaped piece. This invention greatly increased the productivity of weavers. This was first operated by hand, but waterpower was later used to make it faster. -
James Watt builds first steam engine
When James Watt invented his steam engine; Matthew Boulton, an entrepeneur, hired him to make these steam engines. These engines were later used to make steamboats, which Robert Fulton invented. -
Marx and Engels publish the Communist Manifesto
In the Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels describe their views on their current society. They view society as split into two classes: the "haves" or employers (bourgeoise) and the "have-nots" or workers (proletariat). They suggest that everyone should do work for the greater good of society so that they will eventually not need any government and can run the country themselves. -
US Civil War Ends; US experiences technological boom
During the Industrial Revolution, Britain blockaded the US which forced them to use their own resources and develop independent industries. Like Britain, their Industrial Revolution began in textiles with the help of Samuel Slater, a Brit. In the 1870s after the Civil War the US experienced a technological boom. There was a great burst of inventions like the electric light bulb, telephone, and railroads. -
British Unions win right to strike
The Combination Acts in Britain did not permit workers to be able to strike. Since Britain was making so much money from the Industrial Revolution, one of the reasons was cheap labor, they feared that if they abolished child labor or cut back hours their profits would decrease. Eventually, reformers and unions forced political leaders to pass reform laws like the Ten Hours Act to make hours more reasonable.
