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James Watt improved the Steam Engine
In 1765 James Watt while working as a mathematical instrument came across a steam engine made by Thomas Newcomen. He spent several weeks performing experiments on the engine and came uo with the idea of a 2 cylinder steam engine. After this he made a prototype which worked and then he and Matthew Buloton started a buissnes selling the new stam engines. Many people say that Watt's steam engine was one of the most important invention of the industrial revolution.
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The first machine to help in massproduction of cotton made
It was made by Richard Arkwright and was called the water frame. It made it possible for the entire spinning process to be done on one machine. It allowed the spinning of thread to keep up with the weaving of cloth. It was shortly followed by the Spinning Jenny which made the process even faster.
Picture source: inventors.about.com -
The First patent for the speinning jenny was filed
The patent was summited but it was not accepted. It was not accepted because James Hargreaves had sold to many before filing for a patent. After some people found out that it could take jobs from them they broke in to James Hargreaves hoise and destroyed all the Spnning Jennys. Picture source: inventors.about.com -
Edmund Cartwright Patented Power Loom
Edmund's Power loom was powered by a steam engine and worked the same as the hand powered loom. The machine made making thread for cloth much faster. They were even able to make thread faster then the weaving machine which caused the the weaving machines to be improved to keep up with the loom. By 1789 Cartwright had already made many improvements to the loom as well as inventing several other machines including a rope maker.
Picture source:ohio.edu -
The First Patent For a Steamboat was awarded to John Fitch
The patent was given to John after he went through a legal battle with James Rumsey who had a similar desighn. Between the years 1785 and 1796 John produced four different steam boats that traveled through several US lakes and rivers. One down fall to John's steam boats were the cost of running them which made them uneconomical. The first economical steam boats were made by Robert Fulton not long after John Fitch Died. Picture source:inventors.about.com -
The first public Railroad opened in Britan
It was in Wandsworth where many business were thriving and needed a faster way to get to the near by river. Other options were thought of such as a man made canal but the best choice the rail road which was chosen. It was made of iron rails with wagons pulled by horses which each of the business must own. They also had to provide their own horses and they were charged by the materials that they were pulling.
Picture source: wbjournal.com -
First Steam powered Locomotive was made
The first Steam powered locomotive was commisioned in 1803 by a man named Samuel Homfray. It was made by Richard Trevithick and could carry 70 men and 10 tons of iron. It was 9 miles long and it took about to hours the go that length. It was carried the cargo from the town of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales to the Abercynnon valley.
Picture source: inventors.about.com -
First steam ship crossed the atlantic
The first steam ship to cross the atlantic ocean was The City of Savannah. It only was powered by the steam engines when the shore was in sight through out the rest of the journey it was under full sail. Also the ship was loaded with coal and had no cargo or passengers. So many people did not credit it with the first crossing across the atlanctic. The first steam boat to cross the atlantic under normal conditions was The Great Western which crossed in 1838.
Picture source: www.uh.edu -
The first Passenger Rail line opened in Britan
The Rail line was between Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees. It was about 25 miles long it also had the first railway brige whith in it. It was made for the coal industry but on the first time the train run 600 people rode in the coal carts and the welthy rode in a car named The experiment which was a passenger car that was carpeted and nicely furnished. The downside was that the car did not have spings so it was a ver bumpy ride. That first ride the train traveled 12 mi.
Picture source: heritage -
The Factory Act Was Passed
By 1830 many people felt that the working conditions for children in the new factories was unreasonable. As a result the Factory act was passed in 1833 it limited the amount of time and conditions that children could work. Children under the age of 9 could not work children 9-13 could only work for 8 hours and children between 13-18 worked 12 hours. Also children under 13 must have at least 2 hours of school each day. To enforce this4 factory inspectors were commissioned. Picture source:bbc.uk
