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Jethro Tull invents the seed drill.
Jethro Tull realized that the usual method of sowing seeds by scattering it across the ground wasteful because many seeds did not take root. With the seed drill invented in 1701, he solved the problem of wasting seeds and caused a greater yield of crops. -
John Kay invents flying shuttle
The flying shuttle was a piece of wood to which yarn was attached to that sped back and forth on wheels. Invented by John Kay in 1733, the flying shuttle doubled the amount of work a weaver could finish in a day. -
James Watt builds the first steam engine
In 1796, James Watt figured out a way to make steam engines faster and more efficient using less fuel. He later joined with the entrepreneur Matthew Boulton. His steam engines were later used to propel boats, then to power locomotives. -
Marx and Engels publish "The Communist Manifesto"
The manifesto argues that human societies have always been divided into the "haves" (the bourgeoisie) and the "have-nots" (the proletariat). Marx and Engels said the Industrial Revolution made the wealthy richer and the poor even poorer, and they believed that economic forces alone dominated society. During the 1900s, Marxism inspired revolutionaries such as Mao Zedong and Lenin. -
US Civil War ends; US experiences technological boom
The US remained primarily agricultural until 1865, when the Civil War ended. A number of factors led to the technological boom. There was a welath of natural resources, such as oil, coal, and iron; a burst of inventions, such as the electric light bulb and the telephone; and a increase in urban population that consumed manufactured goods. -
Germany becomes dominant industrial power in Europe
Instead of countrywide industrialization, pockets of industrialization appeared. In addition, Germany built railroads that linked its growing manufacturing ciites with the Ruhr Valley's coal and iron ore deposits. Duirng the 1870s, Germany's economic strength helped it to become a military power, and by the late 1800s, Germany had become a industrial and military giant. -
British Unions win right to strike
For many years, British gov. denied workers the right to form unions, as they saw unions as a threat to social corder and stability. By 1875. British trade unions had won the right to strike and picket peacefully. Their goals included raising wages fort their members and imrpoving working conditions.Their membership measured 1 million people.