-
Jethro Tull invents the seed drill
Jethro Tull was 1 of 1st scientific farmers. He saw usual way of sowing seed by scattering across ground, which was wasteful. In 1701, he solved problem with invention called seed drill. It allowed farmers to sow seeds in well-spaced rows at specific depths. Larger share of seeds took root, boosting crop yields. -
John Kay invents flying shuttle
In 1733, a machinist named John Kay made shuttle that sped back & forth on wheels. It was called the Flying shuttle. A Flying shuttle was boat-shaped piece of wood to which yarn was attached. It doubled work weaver could do in one day. -
James Watt builds the first steam engine
James Watt was mathematical instrument maker at University of Glasgow in Scotland who thought about making a steam engine for two years. In 1765, he found way for steam engine work faster & more efficiently, while burning less fuel. In 1774, he joined w/ businessman, Matthew Boulton, a entrepreneur. He paid Watt a salary & encouraged him to build better engines. -
Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto
Marx & Engels argued that human societies have always been divided into warring classes.Middle class (”haves”) and employers→bourgeoisie.Workers ⇒ ”have-nots” → proletariat
While wealthy controlled means of producing goods, poor performed backbreaking labor under terrible conditions
According to Marx & Engels, Industrial Revolution enriched wealthy & impoverished poor. Predicted that workers would overthrow owners. -
US Civil War ends; US experiences technological boom
In the early 1800s, New England experienced much industrial growth. The United States remained mostly agriculture until Civil War ended in 1865. In the last 1/3 of 1800s, the US experienced technological boom. Wealth of natural resources: Oil, coal, iron.
Burst of inventions: Electric light bulb, telephone. There was a swelling urban population that consumed new manufactured goods. -
Germany becomes dominant industrial power in Europe
In the early 1800s, Germany was politically divided. Economic isolation & scattered resources hampered nationwide industrialization. Pockets of industrialization appeared: Coal-rich Ruhr Valley of west central Germany. Ruhr Valley was the Industrial hub of Germany; this starts World War I. In1835, Germany began to copy British model Imported. Germany built railroads that connected its growing manufacturing cities, like Frankfurt wtih Ruhr Valley’s coal & iron ore deposits. -
British Unions win right to strike
For years, British gov denied workers right to form unions. The government saw unions as threat to social order & stability, Ignoring threat of jail or job loss, factory workers joined unions anyway. After 1825, the British government tolerated unions and repealed acts banning them. British unions shared goals of raising wages for members & improving working conditions. In 1875, British trade unions won right to strike and picket peacefully.
