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Definition and Summary
of the
Industrial Revolution
Summary and Definition: The Industrial Revolution
is a phrase that encompasses the massive changes in
agriculture and manufacturing processes during the 18th
and 19th centuries. The new technology and inventions,
and the mechanization of industry, transformed the
United States from an agricultural to an industrial
society.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: Textiles, Iron & Steam
The US Industrial Revolution inventions changed the
lives of Americans forever, bringing about complex
economic, technological and social changes. The
First US Industrial Revolution
in America changed the processes and mechanized
agriculture with exciting, new inventions and
innovations. As you can see by the list of inventions,
the US Industrial Revolution centered on textiles,
agriculture, iron,
and steam engine technology. In the years between
1860 and 1890 over 400,000 patents were issued. The Second
Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological
Revolution, refers to the period in American history
covering the inventions in the latter half of the 19th century until
1914.
First US
Industrial Revolution
List of
Inventions and Technology
The Cotton
Gin ●
Cotton Spinning
Machinery ●
Steamboats ●
McCormick Reaper ●
Steam-powered Grain Elevators ●
The Erie Canal ●
The Horse Car ●
Elias Howe Sewing Machine ● The Railroads
●
Transcontinental Railroad ●
Telegraph & Morse Code ●
The Ironclads ●
Submarines and Torpedoes ●
Limelights ●
Arc Lights ●
Weapon Inventions
The First US
Industrial Revolution Inventions
The First US Industrial Revolution
in America changed the processes and mechanized
agriculture with exciting, new inventions. The US
Industrial Revolution centered on textile, iron, and steam engine inventions and technology.
Cotton Gin |
US
Industrial Revolution: 1793: Invention of the Cotton Gin
The US Industrial
Revolution inventions started with the
Eli Whitney Cotton Gin. This
important invention led to the mass production of cotton
and mechanized agriculture. The Cotton Gin was the name
given to the machine, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793
that separated the fibers of cotton from the seeds.
US
Industrial Revolution: 1798: Cotton Spinning Machinery
The next important
inventions
to the US Industrial Revolution were the
new methods of cotton spinning and the new cotton
spinning machinery introduced into America by
Samuel Slater
-
the "Father of American Industry".
US
Industrial Revolution: Transportation Inventions - The
Steamboats of the 1800's
The US Industrial
Revolution inventions forged ahead with the invention of steam power.
The idea of using steam power to
drive boats occurred to American inventors after James Watt patented
his latest version of the steam engine in 1769. John Fitch
(1743-1798) was granted a United States patent for a steamboat on
August 26, 1791 and his first Steamboats demonstrated the viability
of using steam for water locomotion. The
Steamboats of the
1800's revolutionized river travel and trade across the Southern
rivers of the United States.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: Transportation Systems -
1811 - The 'Macadam' Roads
The US Industrial
Revolution and Industrialization was made possible by the
transportation systems that enabled people to travel across the vast
continent of North America. Men were employed by large companies to
build the roads.
The 600 mile
Cumberland Road was the first federal
highway in the United States of America
and was built between 1811-1837 and gateway to the West for thousands
of settlers.
The construction
method and inventions used to build the Cumberland Road was pioneered by a Scottish engineer called
John Loudon MacAdam, hence the name of “macadam” roads.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1819 - Iron Bladed Plow
In 1819 Jethro Wood patented an iron-bladed plow that
could plow a stony field without breaking, but it was less effective
against the clay soils and prairie sod of the Midwest.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1831: The McCormick Reaper
The US Industrial
Revolution Inventions moved on with the
mechanical horse-drawn reaping machine invented by Cyrus McCormick
in 1831. This famous
McCormick
Reaper invention saved farmers from hours of back-breaking
labor, increased productivity and revolutionized farming methods in
the United States Industrial Revolution period.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1819 - Steel Bladed Plow
In 1837, John Deere invented a self-scouring
plow with sharp-edged steel blades that cut cleanly through the
prairie sod of the Midwest without the need for frequent cleaning.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1817: The Erie Canal
The US Industrial
Revolution inventions continued with the construction of the Erie Canal.
The
Erie Canal was a
magnificent feat of U.S. engineering and more than twice
the length of any canal in Europe. The Erie Canal was a source of great national
pride to the United States of America and provided farmers
and industrialists a relatively cheap and quick means of
transporting their products to market.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1820: The Horse Car
The Horse car was an early form of
streetcar that was drawn by horses that ran on iron tracks laid in
city streets and used for public transport. The
Horse car
inventions
(and the first rail roads they
ran on) were developed in the 1820's about the same time as the steam locomotive was
invented. John G. Stephenson designed the first horse car which he
named the "John Mason".
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Steam Locomotive 1800s
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US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1830: The Railroads
The US Industrial
Revolution inventions speeded along with the
Railroads in
the 1800s.
The American
railroad era exploded in 1830 when the steam
locomotive built by Peter Cooper, called the Tom Thumb, first steamed along Baltimore and Ohio railroad track.
The first locomotive to pull a train of cars
over an American railroad was the 1831 Best Friend of Charleston and
John Bull was one of the first American locomotives to be fitted
with the distinctive 'cow catcher'.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1837: Invention of the Telegraph
The US Industrial
Revolution inventions turned to communications in 1837 when
the
Morse Code
and the first telegraph
line was invented and telegraph lines were erected alongside
the railroads.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1842: Grain Elevators
The 1842 invention of steam-powered
Grain
Elevators, the "Prairie Skyscrapers" by Joseph Dart and Robert
Dunbar made a tremendous contribution to the economy of the United
States by enabling the fast transit of wheat and other grains to
market during the American Industrial Revolution.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1844: Vulcanized Rubber
The 1844 Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber,
revolutionizing the use and applications of rubber.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1846: Invention of the Elias Howe
Sewing Machine
The US Industrial
Revolution inventions turned to textiles once again with the
invention of the
Elias Howe Sewing Machine
in 1846.
Elias Howe invented and patented the first ever lockstitch sewing
machine in the world. The invention of the Elias
Howe Sewing Machine revolutionized the clothing
and shoe industry.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1850: Invention of the Dishwasher
In 1850Joel Houghton
was granted the first patent for a hand-powered wooden
dishwasher.
US
Industrial Revolution: 1863: The First Transcontinental Railroad
The US Industrial
Revolution inventions caught the attention of the media when America
built the world's First
Transcontinental Railroad between 1863 and
1869 to join the east of the United States on the
Atlantic coast with the west of the United States to the
Pacific coast.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: Invention of the Ironclads
Many of the inventions of the
US Industrial
Revolution were made during the period of the Civil
War (April 12, 1861 – May 10, 1865). The Ironclads
were steam-propelled warships that had the parts,
above water, covered and protected by large plates
of iron or steel that were thick and strong to
resist heavy canon fire. The development of the
Ironclad warships also led to the innovation of the
submarines and torpedoes - refer to the
Civil War Technology and Inventions.
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US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1861 – 1865: Invention of the Submarine and
Torpedo Boats
The military
strategy and tactics employed during the American
Civil War were revolutionized during the Industrial
Revolution by the many developments and inventions
made possible by new advances in technology. These
included the development of submarines and
torpedoes. Submarines could be submerged and
navigated under water. Torpedo-boats were capable of
partially submerging. Under-water warfare required
special explosive devices and the stationary mines
and the propelled torpedoes were invented.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1861 – 1865: Weapon Inventions
Various new weapons
were invented as part of the US Industrial
Revolution during the Civil War. The new weaponry
inventions included the Minie Ball, repeating
rifles, hand grenades, machine guns (Gatling Guns),
Rockets and Rocket launchers.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1861 – 1865: Invention of Limelights
The US Industrial
Revolution inventions during the Civil War also saw the
invention of
Limelights. These
Calcium floodlights, or 'limelights' were chemical
lamps that were first used in 1863 to illuminate
artillery targets whilst temporarily blinding the
enemy.
Second US
Industrial Revolution: Steel, Oil and
Electricity
Second US
Industrial Revolution: Technical
Revolution
The Second
Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological
Revolution, refers to the period in United States history
that covered important inventions in the latter half of the 19th century until
1914 and World
War I. The Bessemer Process moved the nation from the
Industrial Age of Iron into the Age of
Steel and into the Second Industrial
Revolution. New Innovations and
Technologies moved on replacing steam
power with electric power. The discovery
of oil and the production of petrol
accelerated the Industrialization of
America. Inventions of
the Second Industrial Revolution
included the Steel Mills, Refrigerator,
Electric Light, Typewriter, Phonograph,
Radio, Roller Coaster, Washing Machine,
Skyscrapers, Elevator, Motion Pictures,
Automobile, Telephone, Diesel Engine and
the Airplane. Learn about the Inventions
of the Second Industrial Revolution.
Second US
Industrial Revolution
List of
Inventions and Technology
The Bessemer Process ●
Carbon Arc Lamp ●
Steel Mills ●
Refrigerator ●
Electric Light ●
Typewriter ●
Washing Machine ●
Bicycles ●
The Camera ●
Ferris Wheel ● Skyscrapers ●
Elevator ●
The Radio ●
The Telephone ●
The Phonograph ●
Motion Pictures ●
Roller Coaster ●
Automobile ●
Diesel Engine ●
The Airplane
US
Industrial Revolution: 1855: Steel Mills and the Bessemer Process
During the US Industrial
Revolution an important technological advancement was made in 1855
when Henry Bessemer invented a process to create steel from
iron which produced steel cheaply and efficiently. The
Bessemer
Process was an extremely important invention because it helped
made stronger rails for railroads and helped to make stronger metal
machines and structures like skyscrapers. The impact of the Bessemer
process led to the inventions and innovations of the
Second Industrial Revolution in the late 1800's.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1855: The Singer Sewing Machine
In 1855 inventor Isaac Singer patents the sewing
machine motor and his practical design could be
adapted for home use.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1858: The Washing Machine
In 1858 inventor Hamilton Smith patented the first
rotary washing machine.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1861: The Elevator
In 1853, American inventor Elisha Otis established a
company for manufacturing elevators and patented a
steam elevator in 1861. His brakes made skyscrapers
a practical reality.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1867: The Typewriter
In 1867 Christopher Scholes invented the first
practical and modern typewriter during the Second
Industrial Revolution.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1873: Barbed Wire
In 1873 Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire. Barbed
wire fencing changed farming and ranching and
contributed to the end of the
Cowboys of the Old West and the period in U.S.
history known as the
Wild West.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1876: The Telephone
In March 1876 Alexander Graham Bell patents the
telephone revolutionizing communication systems.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1877: The Phonograph
In 1877 Thomas Alva Edison invented the cylinder phonograph, or
tin foil phonograph.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1879: The Electric Light
In 1879 Thomas Edison (1847-1931) filed for a US patent for an
electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip
coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires."
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1881: The Camera
In 1881 David Houston patented the roll film for
cameras and in 1884 George Eastman patented
paper-strip photographic film. He established the
Eastman Kodak Company in 1892.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1883: Arc Lights
During the Industrial Revolution oil lamps and gas
lamps in large areas were replaced by the Carbon Arc
Lamp. Carbon Arc Lamps were used on the
Brooklyn Bridge, one of the wonders of the
Industrial Revolution that was opened in 1883 and heralded as one of
the greatest engineering feats of all time. Lighting
methods using electricity and incandescent lamps
were an important feature of the Second Industrial
Revolution.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1884: The Skyscrapers
The Home Insurance Building was the
First Skyscraper built in 1884 and was designed by architect William Le
Baron Jenney who utilized a steel frame for its
construction. In 1889 - George Fuller (1851-1900) built the
second skyscraper, the Tacoma
Building in New York, during 1889 using Bessemer steel beams.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1886: The Daimler Automobile
During the Industrial Revolution the automobile was
invented. In 1886 Gottlieb Daimler builds the
world’s first four-wheeled motor vehicle.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1891: The Escalator
In 1891 Jesse W. Reno invented the escalator that made
skyscrapers to be built even higher..
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1892: The Diesel Engine
In 1892 Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel-fueled
internal combustion engine. In 1898 Rudolf Diesel
received a patent for an “internal combustion
engine” he called the Diesel engine.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1893: The Ferris Wheel
The
Ferris Wheel
Invention was an engineering marvel designed by
American engineer, George Ferris for the 1893
Chicago World's Fair.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1898: The Roller Coaster
In 1898 Edwin Prescott patented the roller coaster in
America. The “Loop-the-Loop” roller coaster carried
only four riders and proved a great success in Coney
Island, New York.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1895: Motion Pictures
During the Industrial Revolution the Lumiere Brothers
invent a portable motion-picture camera, film
processing unit and projector called the
Cinematographe in 1895. The Lumiere Brothers used
their Cinematographe to present the first projected
motion picture to an audience of more that one
person. Refer to
Hollywood in the
1920s.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1896: The Radio
In 1896 the Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi sent
and received Morse code-based radio signals at
distances spanning nearly 4 miles. The same year,
Marconi got the first patent in wireless telegraphy
in England. In 1897 Serbian-American NikolaTesla invented the
induction coil or Tesla coil, a device essential to
sending and receiving radio waves and applied for
his first patents in radio work in the United
States.
1920's Radio and Advertising.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1898: The Roller Coaster
In 1898 Edwin Prescott patented the first roller
coaster.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1899: The Vacuum Cleaner
In 1899 John Thurman patents the motor-driven vacuum
cleaner.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1900: The Zeppelin Airship
In 1900 the
Zeppelin Airship was invented by Count Ferdinand
von Zeppelin
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1903: The Airplane
In 1853 George Cayley invented the first manned glider
but in December 1903 the
Wright Brothers, Orville
and Wilbur Wright, invent the first plane that is
not powered by wind. Orville Wright flew the gas
motored plane for 12 seconds over a beach in North
Carolina. His invention revolutionized
transportation systems.
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1906: Gasoline-powered
tractors
In 1906 Benjamin Holt developed gasoline-powered
tractors
US
Industrial Revolution Inventions: 1908: The Ford Automobile
In October
1908
Henry Ford created the Model T. His
automobile was much cheaper than other cars because
it was made on an
Assembly Line using mass
production. The Model T revolutionized
transportation, allowing many more
Americans to buy cars.
Facts
about
Inventions and Inventors
For visitors interested in inventions and inventors refer to the following articles:
US Industrial Revolution Inventions:
United States History for Kids - Video of US Presidents
The article on the Industrial Revolution
inventions provides detailed facts and a summary of the
most important inventions and innovations during the history of the
United States
- a crash course in
American History. The following video will
give you additional important facts, history and dates about the
personal and political lives of all the US Presidents.
US Industrial Revolution Inventions
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Facts about US Industrial Revolution Inventions for kids and schools
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Summary of the US Industrial Revolution Inventions in US history
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The US Industrial Revolution Inventions, major
events in US history
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US Industrial Revolution Inventions for
kids
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Fast, fun, facts on the US Industrial Revolution
Inventions
● New Inventions and Technology in the
Industrial Revolution
● US Industrial Revolution
Inventions for schools,
homework, kids and children
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