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Period: to
Agricultural
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Roller Spinning Machine
Source Description: Created by Lewis Paul and John Wyatt. It drew out a sliver of wool to right thickness before spinning it. It proved to be unreliable and was remodeled by Richard Arkwright to be more efficient. Business Cycle: Prosperity Impact: During this time period there was a lot of new machines being invented. This made spinningi cotton a lot more efficient, but like most machines, it posed a threat towards jobs. -
Electricity
Source Description: Benjamin Franklin discovers electricity. He flies a kite in a thunderstorm and collects a charge in a jar. Business Cycle: Prosperity Impact: Electricity discovered. No negative impact here. I feel I don't need to elaborate on how much electricity has expanded our world today. -
Cotton Gin
Source Description: Eli Whitney invents cotton gin. Machine made cleaning cotton bolls more effective. Business Cycle: Prosperity Impact: Made cotton a very profitable crop in the South and started to build a solid foundation for the South's economy. It also put an ease on slavery. -
Period: to
Industrial
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Period: to
Production of Services
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Erie Canal
Source Description: Canal for transportation of goods and services. Business Cycle: Prosperity Impact: Responsible for New York's nickname, The Empire State. It transformed America by allowing easier transportation of goods, citizens could use it as a highway, and other cities started to pop up along the canal. -
Morse Code
Source Description: Signals transmitted by wire. Created by Samuel morse. Consisted of several lines and dashes. Business Cycle: Prosperity Impact: Laid the groundwork for future communication. It revolutionized communication by allowing long-distance communication. A very big deal that helps literally everyone. -
Steel Plow
Source Description: Created by John Deere. Used for farming to break up tough soil. Make of iron and steel. There were several models of the steel plow. Business Cycle: Prosperity Impact: It used to take 96 hours to til one acre of land. The invention of the steel plow was a big time game changer for farmers like many of the revolutionizing inventions of the time period. -
Telephone
Source Description: Alexander Graham Bell designs device that can transmit speech electronically. Elisha Gray had created a similar device a couple hours after Bell did. Bell won the legal battle for who invented the telephone. Business Cycle: Recession Impact: Essentially the same impact as morse code, but this telephone was way more efficient. -
Machine Gun
Source Description: Created by Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim. Inventor of the first portable fully automatic machine gun. Was a game changer for the first world war. Business Cycle: Recession Impact: Revolutionary during the first world war. The negative impact is the fact that guns are even more dangerous now. -
Radio
Source Description: Created by an Italian inventor, Guglielmo Marconi. Credit is given to the telephone as well because the
radio and telephone are so closely related. Business Cycle: Recession Impact: Was revolutionary for the media. Most of the inventions around this time period were very revolutionary and came without negative impact on the economy. -
Period: to
Information Technology
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First TV Show
Source Description: "The Queen's Messenger", was the very first tv show to be broadcasted. By J. Harly Manners and owned by General Electric. Business Cycle: Depression Impact: This first tv show specifically did not impact the economy very much, but it said a precedent aside for future broadcasters. TV was a revolutionary invention for media and entertainment and it still is today. -
Abolish Child Labor
Source Description: Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Established a maximum 44 hour seven day work week, minimum wage, overtime pay, and prohibited employment of minors. Business Cycle: Recovery Impact: Made work more fair and more safe for everyone. A pretty important act. Established minimum wage, max working hours, and made child labor illega. I feel I don't need to elaborate on child labor. -
Genetically Modified Plants
Source Description: GMCs are plants where the DNA is modified using certain techniques to resist pests and agents causing harm to plants. Also to improve the growth of plants. Business Cycle: Prosperity Impact: Genetically engineered crops benefitted many farmers, but proper management was required in order for it to be effective. Also, certain weeds have become resistant to chemicals because of this practice.
