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Thomas Newcomen designs his Steam Engine
The Newcomen steam engine is considered the first practical steam engine. Their use was to pump water out of flooded mines. It is beleived that it was first used in 1715 in the Wheel Vor Mine. They quickly spread, having hudreds made before he died.
Picture and information from en.wikipedia.org -
Cartwright pattens powered loom
The powered loom is a device that turns thread into cloth using a steam engine. Edmund Cartwright pattented the first one, along with many other interesting inventions. His loom was not very efficient though, and was later improved by Williams Horrocks. It ws then improved AGAIN by Francis Cabbot Lowell, and became commonly used. Picture from studenthandouts.com Information from http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventors/a/power_loom.htm -
Samuel Slater opens first machine-run cotton mill in America.
Slater ws considered the Father of the American Industrial Revoloution. It was illegal to trade information about the Cotton Machine, so when Slater went to the US, he memorized the schematics. He opened his mill with his new friend Moses Brown.
Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Slater -
First Commercial Steam boat made
Robert Fulton decided to bring steam boats to America.The North River Steam boat was the first public transport steamboat in America. It went from New York City to Albany in 32 hours.
Picture from twainquotes.com Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_Ship -
First practical train way opens.
It was a steam powered train that went on the Middleton Railway. The train was developed by John Blekinsop. The first public train way was opened 14 years later, called the Locomotion, on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. That was made by George Stephenson.
Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway -
First steam ship crosses the Atlantic.
The SS Savannah was the first ship to cross the Atlantic. It left Savannah, Georgia on May 22nd, 1819. 29 days later, it arrived in Liverpool, England. The steam engine was used for 18 of those days.
Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_Ship -
American Civil War Starts
The southern states, angry at the anti-slavery people in the Northern States, decided to secede from the US. The first state to join the Confederacy was South Carolina, then Missipi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana. More would soon follow. This led to the American Civil War, with the Confederates firing on Fort Sumter
Picture from sodahead.com Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_States_of_America -
Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves.
Lincoln, fulfilling his promise to end slavery, signed the Emancipation Proclation. It declared that it was illegal to own a man in the United States, and all slaves would become free. It freed 50,000 slaves, but even more would become free after the Civil War ended.
Informtaion from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamation -
Confederate troops surrender,American Civil War ends
Robert E. Lee, the Commander of the Confederate Army, surrendered at the McClean house. With most of his troops dead after the Battle of Five Forks, the Union could press on into the Capital of the Confederate States. With Lee and his army on the run, he decided it was time to end it, and surrendered. Picture from britannica.com Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War -
Princes proclaim Wilhelm I Emperor, Germany Unified
During the Franco-Prussian War, the German Princes metted in the Palace of Versailles, and voted on whether to unite German states into th German Empire. Following the advice of Otto von Bsmarck, they agreed to unite. They chose the King of Prussia Wilhelm I. This led to the unification of Germany.
Picture from forums.filefront.com Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_of_Germany
