-
Period: to
Industrial Revolution
-
Jethro Tull Invents the Seed Drill
Saw that scattering of seeds was wasteful, and few took root. He invented the seed drill which allowed farmers to sow seeds in well-spaced rows at specific depths. -
John Kay Invents Flying Shuttle
John Kay's flying shuttle - a boat-shaped piece of wood to which yarn was attached that doubled the work a weaver could do in a day, which sped up textile production. -
James Watt Builds the First Steam Engine
Watt figured out a way to make the steam engine work faster and more efficiently while burning less fuel. -
Marx and Engels Publish THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO. It introduced the world to a radical type of socialism called Marxism. They argued that human societies were always divided into warring classes - the middle class "haves" or employers (bourgeoisie), and the "have nots" or workers (proletariat). While wealthy controlled means of producing goods, the poor performed backbreaking labor under terrible conditions. They thought the poor would overthrow the wealthy. -
US Civil War Ends; US Experiences Technological Boom
Prior to the Civil War, the US was mainly agricultural. Post Civil War, there was a technological boom. The main reasons for the boom were a wealth of natural resources (such as oil, coal, and iron), a burst of inventions (such as the electric light bulb and the telephone), and a booming population that consumed the new manufactured goods. -
Germany Becomes Dominant Industrial Power in Europe
Economic isolation and rare resources made it much harder for Germany's industrialization. Instead, pockets of industrialization appeared. Germany copied the British model, sending their children to learn industrial management in England and importing British equipment and engineers. However, most importantly, Germany built railroads. This allowed the isolated pockets of industrialization to spread. Germany's economic strength also strengthened their military power. -
British Unions Win Right to Strike
Unhappy and underpaird laborers formed unions in which were first denied. If the workers striked, production would fall, so the government had to give the unions what they wanted - higher wages and better working conditions.
