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Jethro Tull invents seed drill
In 1700, Englan was mostly covered in farms. To improve farming and make it easier, Jethro Tull came up with a clever invention. The seed drill makes sure seeds get firmly planted for more efficient production. -
John Kay invents flying shuttle
People began to move to cities. This resulted in the explosion of textile production. John Kay invented the flying shuttle to speed up the process, as before everything was done by hand. His invention could do double the work of a person. -
James Watt builds the first steam engine
James Watt teamed up with Matthew Boulton to create the steam engine. They called in the Boulton Watt, and it was designed to make travel for goods easier. James Watt made money, but not as much as his partner Boulton, as he was the entrepreneur. -
Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto
Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels believed in communism and that there should be no classes. They thought that the government should control all factors of production, as if left to the people themselves there would be too great of a difference between the rich and the poor. -
US Civil War ends; US experiences technological boom
After the civil war, the US went through a lot of industrialization. They created the railroad, and telephone. This allowed for people to communicate and transport inventions and goods, increasing the economy. -
Germany becomes dominant industrial power in Europe
Germany and Belgium were not really affected by Napoleon's great power. Also, Germany had the natural resources to industrialize. When they did so, they became an industrial power, with not much to get in their way. -
British Unions win right to strike
The people working in factories and other harmful environments wanted protection. They formed unions. The unions were able to end child labor, and limit work hours, but reforms also took power from unions. They did not want them to be able to strike. Finally, in 1875, the labor unions won the right to strike, or stop work when not given rights.
