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John Kay and the flying shuttle
The flying shuttle was one of the first innovations made in the textile industry. It allowed for much wider fabric to be produced, and could be mechanized, which created automatic looms. This allowed for fabric to be produced much faster, but it also took away the jobs of many. The flying shuttle was the first of many weaving innovations, and as such, it made a path for other inventions to follow. -
James Hargreaves and the spinning jenny
The spinning jenny revolutionized the textile industry. It was capable of working up to eight spools of thread at once, making the process much less tedious. It did however, cause many people to loose their jobs, as most great inventions do. The spinning jenny is just one of many textile innovations, and it would contribute to the inspiration of other machines later on in the revolution. -
Richard Arkwright and the water frame
adding on to the already established spinning jenny, the water frame was a much stronger version of the spinning jenny that was capable of producing much more yarn than it's predecessor, and was capable of running of water powered wheels. however, like it's predecessor, the water frame came with the loss of numerous jobs, that would be taken over by a machine capable of doing the job much better. -
James Watt and the Watt steam engine
The watt steam engine was revolutionary in creating an efficient engine. It allowed for power to be used and maintained much more easily, but it also produced pollution. The engine would be The first to use steam as a source of power. And would eventually become a base model of other future, more efficient engines. -
Samuel Compton and the spinning mule
The last of the textile revolutions, the spinning mule was capable of spinning massive amounts of thread, making it extremely efficient. With this machine however, came an extremely small amount of people who needed to run them, especially in 1825 when Richard Roberts made the machine automatic. This machine was one of the last innovations in the textile industry. While it and it's predecessor are no longer common, they still influence modern advancements in the textile industry. -
Richard Trevithick and the steam engine
The steam engine was created in 1797 by Richard Trevithick. With this new invention, Resources and other goods could be transported at a significantly faster rate. Today, more modern versions of the steam engines are still used, making it one of a few inventions on this list to continue to be relevant after all this time -
Robert Fulton and the Steamboat
In 1807, Robert Fulton successfully commercialized the steam boat. With his new ship, products could be much more efficiently shipped across rivers. One such example is the Mississippi river, which was very difficult to traverse until the steam boat came along. Today, steam boats are still used, but not as the company owned shipping boats they used to be. Today they are often used as tour boats and fair boats used for entertainment. -
George Stephenson and the Steam Locomotive
Using steam engine, the steam locomotive allowed for resources to be shipped internationally. It was one of the first machines to use the steam engine in a way that resembles the modern coal engine based train. As previously mentioned, Steam locomotives are considered to be the original design of modern trains, which are still used today to transport resources around the world. -
Nikola Tesla and the alternating current electrical system
Over the course of 1831 and 1832, A man by the name of Nikola Tesla was creating an electrical system unlike any other, the alternating current. Unlike Edison's direct current, which only went in one direction, The alternating current runs through a loop, meaning that if one system fails, the others won't just because of it. The alternating currents are still used today among nearly any electrical source in any home. -
Henry Bessemer and the Bessemer process
In 1856, Henry Bessemer revolutionized the steel production industry with his new process for making steel. With the Bessemer process, steel could be made significantly faster than it had ever been made before. The Bessemer process is still used today by steel manufacturers, with very little of it different than when it was first used more than half a century ago. -
Louis Pasteur and Pasteurization
In 1864, Louis Pasteur developed a system called pasteurization. Pasteurization is a process in which bacteria is killed from food and drinks. This made food and drinks much safer than before, significantly reducing disease and other sicknesses. Today, pasteurization has gotten a lot better. It continues to keep us safe from unsafe bacteria even after all this time. -
Thomas Edison and the Lightbulb
Thomas Edison is well known for his inventions involving electricity. His most famous of which is the lightbulb. The lightbulb allowed for light to be produced at all times of the day, increasing productivity. Today, the lightbulb is still used to light up homes and places of work. The world truly wouldn't be the same without Thomas Edison and his invention.
