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Inventions That Helped Shape America
This is a timeline of some of the inventions between 1865 and 1929 that helped shape America. -
Edison's Incandescent Light Bulb
In 1879, in Menlo Park, N.J., Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb at the time this was a huge invention. Prior to this people could only work during hours of daylight or work under the glow of a candle. With the explosion of the industrial revolution and the surge in needs for supplies, the incandescent light bulb made it possible for factories to work after the sun went down and could there by produce more products to keep up with the increased demand. -
Building Up
Cities in the east began to become land locked and could not continue to expand in size further. The resolution to this was to build up, rather than build out. The first sky scraper in the U.S. was a 10 story tall building built in Chicago Illinois in 1885 -
The Gasoline Powered Tractor
In Froelich Iowa, John Froelich invented the gasoline powered tractor with the ability to drive forward and in reverse. This invention helped farmers be able to plow more land, make larger profits, and help the country keep up with the increased crop and textile demands of a skyrocketing population. -
Underground Transporation
More people in the cities and more modes of above ground transportation increased the number of pedestrian congestion and accidents injuring those pedestrians. While buildings began to grow upwards, transportation began to move below the surface. On September 1, 1897, Boston opened the first underground subway. This enabled the city to move the people more effectively and more safely than previously before. -
The Assembly Line
in 1913 in Highland Park Michigan, Henry Ford implemented the first moving assembly line to assemble his automobiles. This invention greatly reduced the time required to assemble an automobile. The assembly line was eventually used in other manufacturing realms to help keep up with the increased demand of an ever growing nation. -
The Torque Wrench
In 1918 Conrad Bahr invented the torque wrench while working in New York City. This device ensures nuts and bolts are being tightened to the proper tightness ensuring the durability/longevity of the product they were making. The industrial revolution in American saw an increase in motorized/electric modes of transportation and the use the machines used in factories. The transportation vehicles and machines in the factories needed to be assembled to precise specifications -
The Iron Lung
While working at Harvard in 1928 Philip Drinker and Louis Agassiz Shaw Jr. invented the iron lung. This was a machine that assisted patients in ventilations of a person who was unable to breathe or incapable of breathing effectively. The iron lung help prolong the lives of many people affected by a wide variety of diseases such as severe cases of polio.
