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Thomas Savery Invents The Steam-powered Pump
The first commercial steam-powered device was a water pump, developed in 1698 by Thomas Savery. It used a vacuum to raise water from below, then used steam pressure to raise it higher. Small engines were effective, but larger models werent. They proved only to have a limited lift height and were prone to boiler explosions. It received some use in mines, pumping stations and for supplying water wheels used to power textile machinery. He eventually worked with Newcomen on his engine. -
Abraham Darby Invents "Smelting"
Abraham Darby's patented process of making iron was a big part of the revolution. His work with melting iron with coke mostly went into making cast-iron goods such as pots and kettles, but eventually led to greater inventions. His iron was also cheaper and thinner than others. -
The first Steam Engine is invented.
Thomas Newcomen invented the first steam engine for pumping water in 1712. Although it was not very practical at first, it enforced the idea that steam can be used as a source of power for machines. This invention is important to the Industrial Revolution because it is one of the first inventions to utilize steam as a way of power. -
John Kay Invents The Flying Shuttle.
In 1733 John Kay received a patent for his "wheeled shuttle" for the hand loom. The invention greatly accelerated weaving by allowing the shuttle carrying the weft to be passed through the warp threads faster and over a greater width of cloth. This increased the rate thread would be spun. -
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The Industrialization of Britain
The Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain. The three sources of power in Great Britain were wind, water, and steam. Inventions were being made by innovators that would improve labor productivity. -
John Smeaton Rediscovers Cement
John Smeaton was an English civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbors and lighthouses. He was the first self-proclaimed civil engineer, and often regarded as the "father of civil engineering". He was also known for rediscovering cement. -
The Social Changes In Great Britain c. The Industrial Revolution
The new inventions made production and transportation of goods radically change. With new mechanical machinery factories could be built and used to mass-produce goods faster and more efficiently than humans could. When the new factories were built in cities, it led to the migration of people from rural landscapes to the cities. -
The Boston Massacre
British army soldiers shot into a crowd of people without orders. Three people were killed immediately and two died later of their wounds. Many people were also injured during the massacre. The British officer in charge, Capt. Thomas Preston, was arrested for manslaughter, along with eight of his men. This led to the 13 colonies' revolution from Britain. -
Sir Richard Arkwright Invents Factories
Sir Richard Arkwright was known later in his life as "the Father of the Industrial Revolution". He was known for inventing the factory, the spinning frame, the water frame, and the carding engine. -
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The American Revolution (aka the American Revolutionary War/the U.S. War of Independence)
The 13 Great Britain colonies in America and the British troops began fighting in 1775. France began fighting alongside the colonists in 1778 against Great Britain. The French and Continental Army forced the British to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1779. Although the Americans had won their independence, the fighting didn’t end until 1783. -
James Watt Invents The Steam Engine
James Watt's improvements to the Newcomen Steam Engine "converted it from a prime mover of marginal efficiency into the mechanical workhorse of the Industrial Revolution", which then led to many inventions in machines, and attracted rural families to the cities. -
The U.S. adopts the Declaration of Independence
The Committee of Five included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. The Committee presented the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress. The Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, but written mainly by Thomas Jefferson. This was the defining point of the U.S.'s break from British rule. -
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The Industrialization of France
The French industrial Revolution is identified in four stages; the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars (1789–1815), the industrialization along with Britain (1815–1860), the economic slowdown (1860–1905),the renewal of the growth after 1905. -
Industrial Change From Wood to Coal
A major change in the metal industries during the Industrial Revolution was the replacement of wood and other bio-fuels with coal. Coal required much less labor to mine than cutting wood, and coal was more abundant than wood. -
Steam Power In The Industrial Revolution
The efficiency of steam engines increased so that they used between one-fifth and one-tenth as much fuel. The change of stationary steam engines to rotary motion made them suitable for industrial uses. The high pressure engine had a high power to weight ratio, making it suitable for transportation. Steam power went through a rapid expansion after 1800. -
Children In the Industrialization Of Britain
Before the revolution in Britain, children would learn a skill or trade from their father, and open a business of their own in their mid twenties. During the industrial revolution, instead of learning a trade, children were paid menial wages to be the primary workers in textile mills and mines. Sending boys up chimneys to clean them was also a common practice during the time. -
Britain Working Conditions During Ind. Revolution
Factories were criticized for long work hours, deplorable conditions, and low wages. Children as young as 5 and 6 were forced to work 12-16 hr days and earn as little as 4 shillings per week. -
The Assembly Line Is Invented
Marc Isambard Brunel, with the help of Henry Maudslay and others, designed 22 types of machine tools to make the parts for the rigging blocks used by the Royal Navy. Their assembly line was used in the Portsmouth Block Mills. This factory was so successful that it remained in use until the 1960s. -
Richard Trevithick Invents First Working Steam-powered Locomotive
The first full-scale working railway steam locomotive was built by Richard Trevithick in the United Kingdom and, on 21 February 1804, the world's first railway journey took place as Trevithick's steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway from the Pen-y-darren ironworks, near Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynon in south Wales. -
Cotton Factories Regulation Act 1819
Seeing a problem with child labor, the British parliament passed the Cotton Factories Regulation Act 1819 that helped regulate child labor. This act set the minimum working age to 9 and set the maximum working hours to 12 per day. -
Textiles In The Inudstrial Revolution
Mechanized cotton spinning powered by steam or water increased theproductivity of fabrics. The power loom increased the output of a worker. The cotton gin increased productivity or removing seed from cotton. Textiles also increased the productivity of spinning and weaving of wool and linen, but they were not as great as in cotton. -
Regulation of Child Labor Law 1833
Another act set by the British Parliament was the Regulation of Child Labor Law 1833. This law established paid inspectors to inspect factories on child labor regulations and enforce the law. -
The Ten Hours Bill 1847
The Ten Hours bill limited working hours to 10 per day for women and children -
Population Growth In England Increases During Ind. Revolution
The population in England which had remained steady at 6 million from 1700 to 1740, rose dramatically after 1740. The population nearly doubled from 8.3 million in 1801 to 16.8 million in 1850. -
Industrialization of Japan
After the Convention of Kanagawa issued by Commodore Matthew C. Perry forced Japan to open the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade, the Japanese government needed drastic reforms. The Tokugawa shogunate abolished the feudal system. The government used military reforms to modernize the Japanese army and also constructed the base for industrialization. The Meiji government vigorously promoted technological and industrial development.
