Industrial Revolution

Steam Engines

Jul 4, 1698

Inventor: Thomas Savery
Facts: Engines powered by steam from boiling water
Impact: Increased western settlement due to improved transportation; increased factory development in new areas.

Sewing machine & spinning Jenny

Jul 4, 1764

Inventor: Elias Howe/James Hargreaves
Facts: Machines used to weave clothe and sew clothing
Impact: Increased clothing industry production; Increased a need for cotton.

Factory System

Jul 4, 1789

Inventor: Samuel Slator
Facts: All steps of manufacturing occurred in one location. Built near water & mostly in New England.
Impact: Brought machines & workers under one roof; Increased growth of cities; Job opportunities & clothing industry increased.

Cotton Gin

Apr 4, 1793

Inventor: Eli Whitney
Facts: Machine used to pull seeds out of cotton & clean
Impact: Increased production of cotton industry; Contributed to the growth of the slave trade in the South.

Interchangeable Parts

Apr 4, 1801

Inventor: Eli Whitney
Date: 1801
Facts: Replacement pieces of exact specifications. Parts that are exactly alike.
Impact: Production became faster; Repairs easier & cheaper; decreased need for skilled labor.

National Roads

Jul 4, 1806

Inventor/Supporter: Albert Gallatin
Facts: Road built from Maryland to Virginia
Impact: Allowed people to move about the country easier and aided with settlement of new areas.

Steamboat

Jul 4, 1807

Inventor: Robert Fulton
Facts: Boats powered by steam engines rather then water wheels
Impact: Transportation became easier & faster; Cities developed such as St. Louis; Westward expansion.

Erie Canal

Jul 4, 1825

Inventor/Supporter: John C. Calhoun
Facts: waterway that linked NY city with Buffalo
Impact: Opened up Ohio for transportation of farm products & development; Westward expansion made easier.

Steel Plow

Jul 4, 1836

Inventor: John Deere
Facts: A light weight plow with a sturdy steel blade designed for heavier soils.
Impact: Plowing farms became much faster & easier; Increased farming production and expansion of farms into the midwest U.S.

Telegraph

Jul 4, 1837

Inventor: Samuel Morse
Fact: machine used to communicate by tapping out codes that could be translated
Impact: Improved communication by making it faster; Connected regions of the country together.

Lowell Mills

Jul 4, 1862

Inventor: Francis Cabot Lowell
Facts: Girls came to work 12 hour shifts & live in boarding homes.
Impact: Increased job opportunities for young, unmarried women; gave chance for education; put some workers in danger.

Transcontinental Railroad

Jul 4, 1869

Inventor: Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad
Facts: Railroad that connected the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
Impact: improved transportation as goods and people would be connected as they moved west.