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British agriculturalist Jethro Tull perfected the seed drill. It helped to mechanize farming and optimized growth by planting seeds a uniform distance from each other and at a specific depth. (date approximate) http://sjoncaschapter9.blogspot.com/2011/02/seed-drill.html
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James Hargreaves filed for a patenet on a sixteen spindle spinning jenny. In 1764, he invented an eight spindle spinning jenny that was not patented. Later spinning jennys had up to 120 spindles and greatly reduced the work required in the spinning process. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blspinningjenny.htm
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James Watt perfected the steam engine. The steam engine was used to pump water out of coal mine shafts, allowing them to be deeper, and increased productivity of factories. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watt_steam_engine
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Eli Whitney recieved his patent for the cotton gin. The cotton gin would comb through cotton fibers and remove seeds. It took one slave ten hours to clean one pound of cotton by hand, but the cotton gin cleaned fifty pounds a day. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_gin_harpers.jpg
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The steel plow is invented by John Deere. This invention revolutionized farming by allowing farmers to break up sod and thick grass root systems of available farmland. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34562/34562-h/34562-h.htm
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Elisha Otis filed for a patent July 19, 1854. The elevator safety brake was shown at the 1854 New York World's Fair and would eventually enable taller buildings to be built. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/82f90b78-e396-11de-9f4f-00144feab49a.html#axzz2PFXppQga
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Bessemer takes out a patent on the bessemer process, the first inexpensive process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron. (date approximate) http://archhistdaily.wordpress.com/tag/bessemer-process/
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Peter Ellis developed the technique of using a "curtain-wall" in construction. Steel framework formed the "skeleton" of the building and the walls were hung it in thin pieces. This allowed the steel framework to take hold the building's wieght, not the walls, allowing skyscrapers to be built tall. (date approximate) http://album.atlantahistorycenter.com/store/Products/79515-equitable-building.aspx
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Thomas Edison files for a patent on his perfected incandescent lightbulb. This was the beginning of electricity being commonplace. In addition, Edison used research and development labs in making his lightbulb. R&D labs became key in the development of several prominent inventions. lightbulb
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Henry Ford began producing his Model T with the assembly line. The assembly line allowed a complex job to be broken into many small, simplified tasks. A conveor belt took the finished product of each of these tasks to the next worker to further optomize labor. This revolutionized the manufacturing process and made mass production possible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_assembly_line_-_1913.jpg
