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Steamboat
John Fitch
Delaware River
August 26th, 1791
The age of the steamboat began in 1787. In this year, John Fitch completed the test of a steamboat on the Delaware River. A larger steamboat was built later to carry passengers. Steamboats were essential for transporting passengers and was a large success. -
Erie Canal
DeWitt Clinton
New York
October 26th 1825
When the Erie Canal was first created, it was unbelievable to most. Some called it the "Eigth Wonder of the World". In order for settlers living west of the Appalachian Mountains to transport goods, this was a necessity. It guaranteed safety to the goods being transported to markets. On July 4th, 1817, construction began on the Erie Canal. It was finished on October 26th, 1825. The Erie Canal changed the transportation of goods forever. -
Railroads
George Stephenson
Quincy, Massachusetts
October 7th, 1826
Railroads helped America grow as a whole. Railroads helped revolutionize transportation. South Carolina Railroads showed the nation that railroads were a fast and efficient way to transport goods. -
Mechanical Reaper
Cyrus Hall McCormick
Rockbridge County, Virginia
June 21st, 1834
The Mechanical Reaper was a horse drawn device used to cut smaller crops. It replaced manual devices such as sickles. It was also a more efficient method to cut wheat. This device advanced the farming industry. -
Steel Plows
John Deere
Vermont
February 8th, 1837
John Smith started out as a blacksmith, like many others. One day, he found broken saw. He saw this as an oppurtunity to change farming. This helped the farming process go by faster. -
Telegraph
Samuel Morse
Morristown, NJ
June 20th, 1840
There were many factors that led to the creation of the telegraph. First, in 1800, Alessandro Volta invented the battery, which helped power the telegraph. Also, Danish physicist Hans Christian Oersted found the connection between an electric current and magnetism. In the 1830's, the first telegraph was created. It helped transmit morse code along telegraph lines. This system helped transmit messages. -
Morse Code
Samuel Morse
England
June 20th, 1840
Samuel Morse developed a system of communication through a series of dots and dashes. This connected to the English alphabet. This allowed for the transmission of complex messages. People were later able to understand the message by listening to the clicking, rather than translating it to English on paper. -
Vulcanized Rubber
Charles Goodyear
Trenton, NJ
June 24th, 1844
Vulcanized Rubber began with Caoutchouc. Caoutchouc is a natural substance that came from the sap that came from the bark of a tree. The name rubber came from the use of a pencil eraser. Rubber was also used in many other products. In 1837, Charles Goodyear got a patent that made rubber easier to work with. On June 24, 1844, Charles Goodyear was given a patent for Vulcanized Rubber. -
Sewing Machine
Elias Howe
Massachusetts
September 10th, 1846
In the early 1800's, people made their clothing by hand. This made the process of creating clothes a lot longer. In 1846, Elias Howe changed this by creating the sewing machine. After the invention was patented, it was used as another way to create clothing. This helped mass produce all clothes. -
Steam Engine
James Watt
Scottland
April 10th, 1894
James Watt was working for a university, and had to fix a Newcomen engine. It was said to be the best steam engine of its time. Watt was inspired to make it better. Watts steam engine soon became a model for all, and was said to be the best. Also, a unit of power called a "Watt" was named after James Watt. There is not one person who specifically invented it as many contributed to the invention, but Watt was known best for the creation.
