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Steam Engines
Inventor: James Watt.
Steam engines harness the energy of steam to move machinery. They were used to run locomotives and steamships. This was central to the Industrial Revolution. It let other forms of transportation prospe. It allowed for quick transportation of raw materials to be produced into finished goods. -
Factory Systems
Inventor: Samuel Slator.
The Factory Systems allowed for all steps of manufacturing to occur in one location. They were built near water and mostly in New England. This brought machines and workersunder one roof; increased growth of cities; job opportunities and clothing industry increased. -
Cotton Gin
Inventor: Eli Whitney.
The Cotton Gin separated cottn fibers from it's seeds very quickly and with little work. It made the South's economy explode and lowered the price of cloth. The Cotton Gin also increased slavery. -
Interchangeable Parts
Inventor: Eli Whitney.
Interchangeable Parts were cut out of metal parts identical to each other so they could fit in other guns. This started the concept of mass production. His idea and device were used to make many other things. -
National Roads
Inventor: Albert Gallatin.
The National Road was built from Maryland to Virginia. It allowed people to move about the country easier and aided with settlement of new ideas. -
Steamboats
Inventor: Robert Fulton.
Steamboats were used for transporting passengers and cargo. Roads were bad so they used steamboats on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Within twenty years, over two hundred steamboats were in route and working. -
Erie Canal
Inventor: John C. Calhoun.
The Eria Canal was a waterway that linked New York City with Buffalo. It opened up Ohio for transportation of farm products and development; westward expansion was made easier. -
Textile Mills
Inventor: Francis Cabot Lowell.
In the Textile Mills girls came to work twelve hour shifts and live in boarding homes. The mills increased job opportunities for young, unmarried women; gave chance for education; put some workers in danger. -
Steel Plow
Inventor: John Deere.
The Steel plow let farmers turn heavy sod easily; which stuck to older wooden and iron plows. This invention made farming less physically demanding. It also made work faster, which turned a better profit. -
Telegraph
Inventor: Samuel F. B. Morse.
The telegraph allowede for almost instant communication between distant places in the country. It helped messages to be received faster and work to be quickly started. -
Sewing Machine
Inventor: Elias Howe.
The Sewing Machine completely automated the act of sewing, speeding up the process tremendously. It revolutionized the country's industrial sector and made life easier. It also was the first product of the Industrial Revolution. -
Transcontinental Railroad
Inventor: Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad.
The transcontinental railroad connected the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. It improved transportation as goods and people would be connected as they moved west.
