20th Century Inventions that Shaped America
Throughout history many inventions were invented, but did not have a lasting use like the siege weapons of medieval times, they had there one use and when that uses was no longer needed the invention was replaced. However, many things we use and take for granted today were invented in the 20th century. The first invention to impact the country was the wright brothers’ invention the airplane in 1903, the second advancement in technology was from Fritz Harber in 1909 with the process of ammonia synthesis, the third and final invention was from Henry Ford in 1913 with the assembly line production process. These inventions may not have been looked at the time they were invented as something that would last forever and always be in use.
The invention of the airplane in 1903 from the Wright Brothers not only changed the way consumers traveled, but also how countries would wage war. “The U.S.
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In order for his vison to become reality he would have to come up with a plan to lower the cost of production while increasing product output. Product output could be raised if production time could be reduced according to Vaclav Smil “Data from Ford cost books show that 151 hours was needed to make a car in 1906, 39 in 1914”. This reduction in time spent making one car increased the affordability of cars for the common people. The price drop was pretty substantial prior to 1913 a car cost $850-$875, but after 1913 the price dropped 35% to $550 then the next year it was down to $440, after WWII the price of a car was around $265 (Smil 133). The process of mass production not only worked for the automotive companies but many other consumer items followed suite, so prices dropped and more people where purchasing items they may not have been able to afford before. This process also created jobs by requiring less skilled workers which helped boost the
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.
America has dealt with many things that shaped our history including major wars, fighting for freedoms of all people, and terrorist attacks, but they all give us a reason to continue strengthening our country. The events that we have encountered shaped our history today. In many ways, America has changed greatly for the best interest of the people.
One of the funniest although interesting inventions I stumbled upon was, sliced bread! Bread was probably made about 12,000 years ago, by mixing grains and water. It was probably tough and was cooked by putting hot coals on it. It wasn’t until about 1912 that Fredrick Rohwedder had the idea to create a bred slicer. All the bakers he talked to complained that the loves would go stale. So Rohwedder created a wrapper. He went to a Bakery in Battle Creek Michigan; they loved his idea and started making pre-cut loves. (CBC4Kids: Sliced
It was dubbed The Manhattan Project and consisted of some of the most brilliant physicists at the time such as Albert Einstein. Then, in 1945 arguably the most powerful and controversial technology was developed. This was the nuclear bomb and it completely changed the world forever. This weapon could be used to decimate entire cities and the only time it was ever used during any conflict was in 1945 (Shalett, n.d.). Japan was the target and the bomb left nothing but rubble in its path.
The 1920s was a decade of prosperity and prelude to the diverse introduction of new technologies. At the same time the automobile became popular, aircraft began to develop. Although during the World War II, aircraft is widely used to attack into enemy lines, prior to this, aircraft was used to deliver mail and compete for the distance it could fly without making any stop. One such aviator, Charles A. Lindbergh challenged to the first solo transatlantic flight and in a moment, he became one of the America’s most beloved hero.
After the War of 1812, America initially sank into a time of economic regression and the public began to lose faith in the government. The United States was in debt, British products flooded the ports, and many citizens became more concerned of their own welfare compared to the country’s. However, through years of improvement and hard work, the United States began to prove itself once again to the foreign countries. Beginning in the 1800’s, the technological developments began to greatly transformed the United States. At first, many people considered America to be a weak and undeveloped state, however, throughout the years, America slowly began to prove to the other countries that it is becoming a strong and independent state. In the end, America became an industrialized country, domestic trade became popular, and the transportation system in the country was
Many technologies that we see as necessities today, got their start around the 1800’s. Boats with engines and metal such as cargo ships, cruise ships, and navy ships all stem from Robert Fulton’s steam boat. Thomas Edison’s
Many events that occurred in the 1960s to late 1970s are important factors as to how Americans view their country and society as they know it today. Events like the creation of the Internet in 1969, or the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Watergate in 1973, and even the 26th Amendment in 1971 are very substantial to the formation of America and how they deal with certain situations (“7.01 Timeline”). However, the most important factor that has shaped America is Martin Luther King Jr. Born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929, he was the son of Martin Luther King Sr.a Baptist pastor there. Martin also attended Booker T. Washington High School and Morehouse College. Martin Luther King Jr. is also most famous for his speech on the
So like basically the ideas of America changed a lot more than you think. Like why couldn’t they keep some ideas and changes some ideas? It would have made writing this essay a whole lot easier but whatever.
The plow was a very important invention. Around 600 A.D. the plow led food production to its all-time high. Another invention that helped with supplies around 787 A.D. was the tidal mill. The tidal mill would collect and store water during a high tide. Around the 9th century the hour glass was invented. The hour glass helped sailors tell time while out at sea. The blast furnace was invented around 12th century A.D. The slag that was produced from the furnace was used to invent liquor. Eyeglasses were invented around the 13th century. They were used mostly for reading. They also wore them while spinning wool. The spinning wheel they used was invented around the 13th century also. The printing press of Gutenberg was invented around the 15th century. This increased the rate of printing to 250 sheets per hour. These inventions were very important to how things are
The brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, possibly the two most renowned representatives of American aeronautics, were the first to experience controlled, continuous flight of a powered airplane in history. Despite being autodidactic in the area of engineering, the duo proved to be extraordinarily successful, testing and refining their strategies to overcome successive challenges that arose with the building of a plane (Crouch 226). The two were so far ahead in the race for flight that they even anticipated and found solutions to problems that more learned scientists could not have even begun to predict. Successful, man-controlled, powered flight was a fundamental turning point in history; it transformed the methods of how the United States
If you were to have to choose one invention that had the largest impact on everyday life during the 20th century, the invention of the automobile may just have been the most important and impactful. Although the technology existed during the late 19th century to produce an automobile, had it not been for Henry Ford and his assembly lines, the automobile may have never been brought into the hands of the general population. With the expansion of the automobile industry came an economic revolution during the 1920s across the continental United States as thousands of jobs were created with the introduction of highway systems in 1921 with the Federal Aid Highway Act. The intent of the act was to create coherent highway networks using Federal funds
On April 19, 1775, Americans will never forget when many deaths and historical events occurred allowing the colonist to receive their victoriorous justice. Colonists were frustrated because Britain forced them not to have any representation in the British Parliament. This led to an American battle which had 4,435 deaths involving this event. Although, we lost many lives during this time period, we gained justice and independence from Great Britain, with the help of one of Americas strongests allie; the French. In fact, without assistance, the Americans were no match for Britains; showing the hatred towards the British from the French and Americans, thus, making it easy for them to form an alliance. In 1778, representatives of both America
During the course of World War I, airplanes proved to be a useful tool for the military. With the introduction of airmail planes were now utilized for commercial purposes. The Air Mail Act of 1925 gave birth to the airlines and passenger
United States, 2006: a nation with a history of a mere 230 years, yet it stands as one of the most powerful nations in the world. Yet many of us know little about the history and cultural changes that led to the birth of this nation. We only know the bits and pieces that are taught as we sit daydreaming in our fifth grade classroom. The Puritans, the Pilgrims, Christopher Columbus, the Mayflower, we know about these people and things, yet what aspects of their lives created the change in America? The answer to this question can be found by observing the changes in religion, women's role, and colonial law as it brought about the change in the Puritan's cultural values.