-
John Kay, a machinist, made a wooden shuttle that sped back and forth on wheels. It had yarn attached to it. This doubled the work a weaver could do in one day.
-
Hargreaves invented a spinning wheel, which he named after his daughter. It allowed one spinner to work eight threads at once.
-
In this book, Smith defended the idea of a free economy (supporting laissez-faire). He argued that if individuals freely followed their own self-interest, the world would be an orderly and progressive place.
-
In 1776, Adam Smith wrote "The Wealth of the Nations." In it he defended the idea of a free economy (capitalism). Capitalism is the economic system based on private ownership of and on the investment of money in businesses to make a profit.
-
Crompton combined features of the spinning jenny and the water frame to produce the spinning mule. It made thread stronger, finer, and more consistent.
-
Run by water power, the power loom sped up weaving even more than latter inventions
-
Eli Whitney made a cotton gin which removed seeds from the raw cottonn. It multiplied the amount of cotton that could be cleaned. American cotton production skyrocketed (from 1.5 million lbs in 1790 to 85 million lbs in 1810)
-
In "An Essay on the Principle of Population," Malthus argued that the population grew faster than the food supply. If war and epidemics don't kill of people, most of the people would be poor and miserable. His theory was found as true during the 1840s, but did not prove to be accurate over time.
-
Utilitarianism is the theory that government actions are useful only if they promote the greated good for the greatest number of people. Jeremy Bentham is credited with being the "founder" of the theory. Utilitarianists believe that wealthy people and the government should take action to help improve other people's lives. This theory calls for the government to do away with great differences in wealth.
-
Ricardo argued that a permanent underclass would always be poor. He also argued that wages would be forced down as the population continued to incread. He opposed government efforts to help poor workers.
-
George Stephenson created a 27 mile long railroad, stretching from the Yorkshire coalfields to the port of Stockton on the North Sea. It used four locomotives that he had designed and built himself.
-
Socialism is an economic system in which the factors of production are owned by the people and operate for the welfare of all. Robert Owens is the man behind the idea, though Karl Markx and Friedrich Engels are generally associated with it.
-
William Wilberforce, a highly religous man, continued to fight for the freedom of slaves even after he retired from Parliament. Finally in 1833, Britain abolished slavery, Wilberforce helping all the while.
-
The "Communist Manifesto" did not take hold when it was first published, but rather years later.
-
Karl Marx and Frank Engel wrote the "Communist Manifesto," which cites the principles and ideas of communism. Communism is an economic system in which all means of production are owned by the people. Private property does not exist and all goods and services are shared equally.
-
It wasn't until after the United States, Britain, Puerto Rico, and Spain ended slavery that Brazil finally decided to also. Brazil had a huge population of slaves which were finally set free.
-
The Hull House was opened by Jane Addams and Ellen Starr. This was a settlement house that served the poor residents of slum neighborhoods. Eventually it was expanded to include a nursery, a gym, a kitchen, and a boarding house for working women.
