I’m going to talk about several of the inventions that were invented during the 1800’s, including but not limited to the locomotive, Morse code and the telegraph, the telephone, and the light bulb. I’ve already take a course that focused specifically on inventions specifically, so I will probably go into more detail than Mr. Fish did this year.
The cotton gin, while it was invented in 1793, was listed among the 19th century inventions, so I will list it here. The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. Separating the seeds from the cotton was a very important task to be done before it could be woven into fabric. Normally, slaves would have done this grueling, painful task. Eli Whitney made it much easier and more efficient. The cotton gin pulls cotton through a strainer which the large seeds cannot pass through, leaving only the pure cotton. Now, one might think that this makes slavery less needed for cotton producing states, but it actually made slavery become more popular. Plantation owners wanted to grow as much cotton as possible, so they bought more slaves to plant, harvest, and overall, tend to the cotton, and then also have slaves running the gins so that it could be sold.
The locomotive was one of the most important inventions in history. It revolutionized travel and transport. The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. One could now travel from ocean to ocean in a relatively comfortable fashion and in a relatively short time. Travel would never be the same ever again after this invention was created and popularized. It became widespread across every nation, and was also very important in the outcome of the American Civil War and the victory of the Union over the Confederacy.
Morse code, along with the electric telegraph, were invented by Samuel Morse. Morse code is a series of “dots†and “dashesâ€, that, when combined with spaces, make code that can be interpreted into normal English. The telegraph transformed communication as it was known. Instead of waiting weeks or even months for mail to be delivered, telegraphs could be purchased for a little more money and would arrive nearly instantly.
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. It took the telegraph and stretched it to new lengths. You could now talk in real-time instead of only having text to communicate long-distance through. Graham Bell also founded Bell Labs, which would eventually become the large network company that we know today as AT&T. Here’s a fun fact: AT&T stands for American Telephone and Telegraph.
Last but not least, the light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879. The light bulb is the symbol for invention, and for a good reason. It was the beginning of electrical lighting, and is now used in almost every home today.
In conclusion, the nineteenth century brought many new, important inventions into the industrial revolution. These inventions completely changed history, and they have had an absolutely humongous impact on the world we live in today.