Key people and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution

Key people and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution

Thomas Slaven, Thomas Newcomen and James Watt • Slaven created the original steam engine which came about as he was trying to figure out how to pump water out of a coal mine. • Newcomen then improved Slaven’s design by relying on atmospheric pressure to create energy. His engine pumped steam into a cylinder which was then condensed, creating a vaccuum which initiated a downward motion…thus creating power. • Watt then improved Newcomen’s design. Watt’s design became the dominant design and helped to drive the Industrial Revolution

Eli Whitney • Invented the cotton gin – The cotton gin turned raw cotton into a profitable crop by reducing the amount of time and labor involved in the harvesting. It also enforced slavery in the American south. – The cotton gin also allowed for a greater export from America to Europe which meant textile factories could create cloth more quickly and effectively.

Robert Fulton • Invented the steamship – The steamship allowed for the use of England/Europe’s vast system of waterways to transport goods, thus allowing for a shorter turnaround in production time. – He also commissioned Napolean Bonaparte to create the first submarine, The Nautilus

Henry Bessemer • The Bessemer Process – This was a process that allowed for simpler conversion of Iron to Steel. This allowed for safer, faster railways, bridges, and improved any industry that relied on Steel. – Although not used today, the Bessemer Process was a great leap forward during the Ind. Rev.

Samuel F. B. Morse • Morse Code – Allowed for coded transmission of information. This encouraged communication between corporations/industries as the risk of interception was eliminated.

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Eli Howe and Isaac Singer • Sewing Machine – Eli Howe invented the sewing machine which made it possible for almost anyone to sew (loss of skills, phasing out of the cottage system…) – Isaac Singer then mass produced and marketed Howe’s design. Singer is still a popular sewing machine brand.

Cyrus Field • Atlantic Telegraph Company – Field established this company and laid the first telegraph line between Europe and North America. This was the first time the two continents could communicate quickly. (Previous communications had to travel by boat…)

Alexander Graham Bell • Telephone – Bell invented the first telephone, but also did groundbreaking work in opticals, telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics. – He considered the telephone to be a minor invention of his and refused to have one in his office – Was one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society

Thomas Edison • The Incandescent Light Bulb – Edison was a prolific inventor, holding more than 1000 patents. But, he is best known for his invention of a long-lasting light bulb for use in homes and factories. – This led to the production of mass-produced electricity

Nicola Tesla • The Father of Electricity – Tesla is responsible for the technology that is used in modern alternating current electricity

Rudolph Diesel • The Diesel Engine – Invented the diesel engine as an alternative to gasoline and steam powered transportation. – Very few changes have been made to his design