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Factory Systems
This system was invented by Richard Arkwright, and it was used to centralize manaufacturing to one location. As many women were working and shipping goods from their homes, the factory system allowed mass production. It sped up work immensely. -
Spinning Jenny
The Spinning Jenny was invented by James Hargreaves, and it was used to speed up the production of yarn. Hargreaves invention made creating yarn very easy; it sped up the economy and helped many travelling weavers get their work done faster. -
Steam Engines
James Watt invented the steam engine in 1775. It was an engine whose power source was steam. It was mainly used to run locomotives and steamships. Without this central device, many later inventions would not have been made. This engine powered the industrial revolution. -
Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793; it was designed to remove cotton from its seeds. Plantation owners pounced on the machine, and quickly had very many. As a result, the cotton industry boomed, making cotton a cash crop. -
Interchangaeble Parts
Eli Whitney invented the interchangaeble parts for guns in 1798. Using select parts, you could put together and take apart a musket. The idea caught on quickly and, by the war of 1812, many leading weapon producers were making interchangaeble parts. -
National Roads
Thomas Jefferson made up the idea of national roads. He used them to make a clear road across the country. It helped path many major intersections and the same path is still used today. -
Steamboats
The steamboat was a revolutionary invention that was evetually used for regular boat travel. It was invented by Robert Fulton in 1807 and became very popular. It helped make an easy way to transport goods and people via boat. -
Erie Canal
DeWitt Clinton invented the Erie Canal. It helped make boat transport easier; many shippers used it to make their travel much easier. It completed a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. -
Lowell Mills/Textile Mills
Francis Cabot Lowell invented this mill; it was used to produce textiles in mass and more efficientely. It contributed to the birth of the working woman and increased production of textiles immenesly. -
Telegraph
Samuel F.B. Morse invented the telegraph; it was used for modern, fast communication across many miles. It helped many families stay in contact across the country, and was the fastest way to communicate for important government news. -
Steel Plow
John Deere created the steel plow in 1837; it was used for farming on plantations. The steel plow industrialized ploughing and became a practical farm tool for fast and economical ploughing. -
Sewing Machine
Created by Elias Howe, the sewing machine was used in many textile factories. It industrialized sewing and made it much easier to create clothing. The economy was directly affected and boosted considerably. -
Transcontinental Railroad
Abraham Lincoln had the idea of the Transcontinental Railroad, but he died before its completion. Theodore Judah was the main founder of the Transcontinental Railroad. It expanded the whole United States and provided fast travel across the country. The opening of the Transcontinental Railroad cause a mass move to the west.
