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John Kay
In 1733, John Kay invented and got a patent on his creation, the flying shuttle. What this did was automatically pass thread across a path to weave cloth automatically. This invention majorly increased cloth production, but they were often put in rooms with many others with people working for very little money. Today, his idea has become used in similar ways on things such as sewing machines and textile mills. -
James Hargreaves
In 1764, James Hargreaves' daughter accidentally flipped over a spinning wheel, and when James saw it still spinning, he came up with an idea that would be more effective for spinning wool by turning the wheel at an angle and spinning more threads at a time. He names it the Spinning Jenny since his daughter Jenny was the one who had knocked it over. Similar to the flying shuttle, the invention increased cloth production, but was also used in sweatshops where people in the shops could be injured. -
James Watt
In 1764, James Watt was fixing an older model of a steam engine, he noticed many flaws, such as a major loss of heat. This inspired him to make his own model of the engine with the inventor John Roebuck. This invention made transportation much quicker and easier, but it relied on coal which is a non-renewable resource. Similar engines are still used on trains and electric generators today. -
Richard Arkwright
During the Industrial Revolution, Richard Arkwright created the water frame. This was similar to the spinning jenny, except for the fact that it used water power to operate and it wove cotton yarn instead of thread. -
Samuel Crompton
In the year 1779, inventor Samuel Crompton created the spinning mule. He combined ideas used by Richard Arkwright and James Hargreaves, hence the name "spinning mule." The spinning mule worked in a similar way to the spinning jenny, except that it was powered by water. This invention caused less people to be injured while operating it, but it required less people so many people were out of a job. Today, the textile mill works in a similar way. -
Robert Fulton
In 1787, Robert Fulton invented the steamboat. This invention came from his studies in canals and how to travel along them. They increased travel across canals and large bodies of water, although they were deadly as they were known to have too much pressure and occasionally explode. Today, we have invented motor boats, which are more effective and more safe. -
Richard Trevithicc
In 1813, Richard Trevithick worked with innovator George Stephenson to create the first steam locomotive. Once again, their invention is still used in a very similar way, which majorly improved transportation. -
George Stephenson
in 1813, George Stephenson was looking at what someone called a "boiler on wheels" used to carry coal out of mines, based on James Watt's steam engine. Stephenson examined this invention and believed he could do better. He innovated his idea and turned it into the steam locomotive, capable at travelling quickly across rails for transportation instead of carrying coal. This innovation led to the trains that we use today, which improved travel, but led to a major decline of coal. -
Henry Bessemer
In 1856, Henry Bessemer created a new process for creating steel from pig iron. He used a method called "puddling," which removed carbon from the molten steel. This made steel much more cheaper and common, leading to more steel buildings being constructed. However, the process could be very dangerous and lead to injury or death if not done properly. Today, we use the Linz Donawitz process, which works in a similar way. -
Thomas Edison
In 1879, Thomas Edison, a deaf inventor and innovator, improved the design of the light bulb. He did so by using a carbon filament in his design. These bulbs were much more efficient at lighting up spaces, but were very expensive at the time. We still use a design similar to these bulbs today. -
Nikola Tesla
In 1891, Nikola Tesla invented the Tesla Coil, which was used to create Alternating Current, or AC. The AC had a very low current, but with a large amount of voltage. This current was much safer than direct current, as it's electricity was constantly changing directions. The only down side to it was that it had much less of a current. We still use AC current in homes today.
