-
Abraham Darby
During the Industrial Revolution, Darby came up with a new method of producing pig iron. He would do this in a blast furnace fueled by coke instead of charcoal. This took a step in the right direction for the production of iron during this time period. -
John Kay
He invented the first flying shuttle which was important for automatic weaving. This device helped a single weaver to weave much wider fabrics. It could also be mechanized for automatic machine looms. -
Richard Arkwright
Richard Arkwright, along with the help of John Kay, invented the spinning frame. The spinning frame was a mechanical way to spin thread or yarn from fibers such as wool or cotton. When this machine is powered by water, it is referred to as the water frame. -
James Hargreaves
Hargreaves was the man who invented the spinning jenny, the first machine that used a practical application of multiple spinning. The goal was to have one individual spin several threads at once. He went on to create a small mill with multiple jennies spinning yarn for hosiers. -
Samuel Crompton
Crompton was the British inventor that created the spinning mule. The spinning mule allowed for a large-scale production of high-quality thread and yarn. It was a combination of Arkwright's water frame and Hargreaves' spinning jenny. -
Henry Cort
He was responsible for coming up with the puddling process for converting pig iron to wrought iron. The puddling process included stirring the molten pig iron on the bed of the reverberatory furnace. This invention help grow the iron production in Britain greatly. -
Edmund Cartwright
Cartwright was an inventor responsible for creating the first power loom. The loom used water power in replacement of human power which ultimately helped speed up the weaving process. Weavers ended up being able to use all of the thread that the spinners could produce. -
Eli Whitney
He was responsible for inventing the cotton gin. The cotton gin was a device where cotton was run through a wooden drum containing various hooks that pulled the cotton fibers through and left the seeds behind. The machines could be cranked by hand or powered by a horse if large enough. -
Alessandro Volta
Volta was most famous for his invention of the electric battery, which people called the voltaic pile. The battery consisted of pairs of copper and zinc discs piled on top of each other and separated by a layer of cloth soaked in brine. Even though it was not the first device to create electricity, it was the first to have a steady, lasting current. -
Robert Fulton
He was an American engineer and inventor that developed the first successful commercial steamboat. The boat, referred to as the North River Steamboat, carried passengers between New York City and Albany, New York. -
George Stephenson
George invented Stephenson's Rocket, the first modern steam locomotive, with the help of his sons, Robert and Henry. It was built for the 1829 Rainhill Trials. The goal of the trials was to find the best locomotive engine for a railway between Liverpool and Manchester. They ended up winning the Rainhill Trials. -
Cyrus Field
He was an American business man and financer that helped create the Atlantic Telegraph Company. The company laid the first telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean. It was used to communicate through the telegraph across seas.