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Flying Shuttle
John Kay made a shuttle that sped back and forth on wheels. The shuttle was a boat shaped piece that speedily carried thread of yarn back and forth when the weaver pulled a handle on the loom. The flying shuttle greatly increased the productivity of weavers. -
Spinning Jenny
A textile worker named James Hargreaves invented a spinning wheel he named after his daughter. His spinning jenny allowed one spinner to work eight threads at a time. -
Steam Engine
James Watt, a mathematical instrument maker at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Watt figured out a way to make the steam engine work faster and more efficiently while burning less fuel -
Spinning Mule
In 1779 Samuel Crompton combined features of the spinning jenny and the water frame to produce the spinning mule. The spinning mule made thread that was stronger, finer, and more consistent thatn earlier spinning machines. -
Cotton Gin
An American inventor Eli Whitney invented a machine called the cotton gin to speed up the chore of removing seeds from the raw cotton by hand. His cotton give multiplied the amount of cotton that could be cleaned. American cotton production skyrocketed from 1.5 million pounds in 1790 to 85 million pounds. -
Road Transportation
British roads improved thanks largely to the efforts of John McAdam, a Scottish engineer. McAdam equipped road beds with a layer of large stones for drainage. On top, he placed a carefully smoothed layer of crushed rock. Even in rainy weather heavy wagons could travel over the new "macadam" roads. -
Steam-Driven Locomotives
In 1804, an English engineer named Richard Trevithich won a bet of several thousand dollars. He hauled ten tons of iron over nearly ten miles of track in a steam-driven locomotive. -
Steamboat
Steam could also propel boats. An American inventor named Robert Fulton ordered a steam engine from Boulton and Watt. He built a steamboat called the Clermont, which made its first successful trip in 1807.
