Important Inventions of the Early Nineteenth Century Essays

There were many inventions that were created in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that had a huge impact on life in the United States. Some of these inventions were the telephone, the electric light bulb, and the airplane. The telephone was created by Alexander Graham Bell, the light bulb by Thomas Edison, and the airplane by Wilbur and Orville Wright.

The railways became an important system that guided settlement and delivered economic opportunity for much of the United States. Railroads allowed access to places that people had no means of getting to and provided an opportunity to develop cities and towns

Improvements in communication and transportation became apparent in the nineteenth century due to the expansion of the textile, mining and metallurgy industries. By the middle of the nineteenth century, communication was transformed by the invention of the electronic telegraph and the transatlantic cable, which “Established instant communication between the old and new worlds.” (p. 413) Transportation was also transformed by canal and road building, as well as the introduction of locomotives and steamboats.

In the 19th century, America saw major expansions and technological advances that paved way for the grand expansion of agriculture that boosted the nation’s economy. Regardless of the fact that Great Britain had tried to keep secrets regarding machinery and inventions, most of America’s advances were propelled by inventions such as the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793, steel plow by John Deere, railway, steamboats, telegraph, and canals. In addition, technology’s profound effect on agriculture also led to the rise of the textile industry whereby factories produced materials such as cotton thread and cloth. Many of these initial factories are recognized in historical texts, but the Lowell factory system is one that is famous – precisely the

At first, overland travel was slow and expensive, and the west was isolated from the rest of the nation. Canals, steamboats, and railroads began to appear, resulting in faster travel, cheaper transport, and greater economic growth. The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, connected New York City to the Great Lakes. It cut the trip time from twenty days to six days and made it much cheaper to ship goods, which later inspired many new canal projects. Additionally, steam engines used the steam produced by boiling water to drive machinery. They were developed as a new source of power in the early 1700s and improved by James Watt in 1765 to be used in factories and for transportation. In 1807, Robert Fulton used the idea of steam power to built one of the first boats powered by a steam engine. These steamboats could travel against the wind and against river currents, increased the speed and lowered the costs of river travel and shipping, and opened up the South and West to more travel and trade. Furthermore, in the 1830s, railroads were developed. Steampowered locomotives pulled trains of cars. Travel by train was faster than travel by horse and trains carried more cargo than other land transportation did. Thus, railroads could be built where there were no rivers. Before long, railroads spread rapidly across the United States and the miles of railroad tracks increased from 3,000 miles in 1840 to 30,000 in 1860. They were concentrated in the North, made shipping cheaper and faster, linked the East and the West, and helped industry

Canals, waterways built for transportation, were also built for the shipment of goods and with the creation of the steamboat, canals could be used effectively. Another totally new form of transportation, the railroad, was created and by the time the 1860s hit, more than 30,000 miles of railroad tracks had been set down. Lastly, the telegraph

The American economy boomed to a greater extent during the period of 1865-1900 due to transportation developments that were so modernistic, we still use them today to great effect. Along with faster transportation methods, this called for an increase in production rate, quickly leading to an industrial revolution. America had recently gotten out of its civil war, and with the compromise of 1877 came the end of the failed attempt at reconstruction. The only reason transportation developments were successful was because goods and people needed transporting for several various reasons. Among these reasons were a few that were quite generalized among the population such as manifest destiny, (the need to expand the frontier) Irish and German

During the Antebellum era there were a large number of advancements in transportation technology, such as railroads being placed all over the United States. There was also the building of numerous bridges and canals, and the development of the steamboat. During the pre-civil war period there was a huge expansion of railroads all over the country According to the web site quizlet, “From 1833 to 1850 the amount of railroad tracks increased from 136 miles to 9,000 miles” (http://quizlet.com). The first steam engine was built in 1804 by Richard Trevithick. The steam engine that was most commonly used on rail ways was that built by George Stephenson. According to Mary Bellis the author of The History of Railroad Innovations, “Stephenson's locomotive pulled six loaded coal cars and 21 passenger cars with 450 passengers over 9 miles in about one hour” (http://inventors.about.com). The growth of railroad use was a huge advancement in technology, because it helped transport people and goods to

The innovation that I think was the most important to society before 1850 was the printing press. Johannes Gutenberg started working on the printing press in 1436 and completed it in 1455 (Quinn, 2017). The printing press was important to society because it improved literacy and led to the creation of the newspaper.

For example, Robert Fulton’s invention of the steamboat in 1807 allowed for fast two-way travel. The steamboat allowed the South to trade with the West quicker and more effectively. Also, it gave sailors the freedom to travel without dependence on the winds, making it possible for them to travel to any port at any time. To put in perspective the enormous change the steamboat brought about, a comparison of travel times could be made. For instance, it took the Clermont (1st commercial steamboat) 32 hours to travel from New York City to Albany, New York via the Hudson River while wind-powered sailing vessels averaged five days to travel from New York City to

Before railroads were ever implemented into American society, there was another form of primary transportation. In the early 1800s, goods and passengers were carried by ships. For some time, boats on rivers, lakes, and the ocean proved to be adequate enough to convey freight and people where it needed to go. However, these methods of transportation often posed problems of being too slow and too inconvenient. First appearing in the 1830s, the railroad business grew and in 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed, allowing people to think about more efficient settlement across the country. Railroads were the fountainhead of American expansion because they provided for town and city creation and development across the entire United States.

The industrial revolution came about because of many variables: progresses in transportation and communications, the development of manufacturing innovation, the advancement of new frameworks of business association, and maybe most importantly, increases in population development. As far as population trends, America became more populous as the years went by. The population was about 4 million in 1790. By 1820, it had reached 10 million and 17 million by 1840. New developments in public health played an important role in the population growth. (Brinkley, 222) Railroads were a very efficient way of transportation. They got people and supplies to places faster than in previous times. The telegraph improved communication. Before the telegraph, communication over long distances could only happen in person. Without the railroads, the telegraph would not work because the wires of the telegraph ran along the railroad tracks and the telegraph offices were usually located in the railroad stations. (Brinkley,

During the years of the 1800’s there were many technological, social and political developments in America. The country experienced growth through the Industrial Revolution, slavery and the women’s rights movement all in one century. The nation experienced reforms, utopian societies and compromises all in pursuit of a “perfect” America. All of the inventions, movements and amendments of the 1800’s helped shape America’s industry, government and society, overall shaping the United States.

Another great invention of transportation during this time was the train. America’s first train was invented by George Stephenson in 1822, and by 1825 the train was the first locomotive. Obviously everything at this time was made by hand, and every part of this engine had to be hammered into shape just like a horseshoe. John Thorswall, a coalmine blacksmith, was George’s assistant. The invention of George was very important in America because it allowed transportation from place to place in a quicker time. This boosted the economy by helping distribute many goods all around the country. Even letters were being delivered faster, so communication was increasing.

1. Describe some of the events and scientific discoveries that shook the late nineteenth century’s confidence in the idea of progress. What effect did these events have on music, literature, and the arts?