Inventors and Inventions of the 19th Century
Changing the way Americans Live – Creating Modernity
Which of these inventions had the most lasting and positive effect on the United States of America and its people?
During the late 19th Century, more patents were acquired by inventors than ever before. Moreover, businessmen were able to transform these inventions into profitable companies like never before – winning enormous profits for themselves while providing jobs and opportunities for American workers. Although some of these inventions quickly became obsolete, a handful had a lasting impact on society – changing America forever. Your task today is to evaluate these inventions, determine their overall value, and ranking them.
The Wright Brothers: First Flight, December 17, 1903
The Transcontinental Railroad, completed at Promontory Point, UT, in 1869.
Edison’s Motion Picture Machine
Oil Refineries: Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company
The Bessemer Process and Carnegie’s Steel Company
The Bessemer Process Carnegie Steel Co.
Henry Ford’s Model-T
Alexander Graham Bell’s Telephone Company
Edison’s Electric Light Bulb
Duryea Brothers
Directions! Answer each of the questions that follow.
Consider the impact of each of the inventions and businesses. Then answer each of the following questions about the frames:
What does the frame signify?
What does the frame, title and picture, represent to you? Is it just an invention, or is it an entire industry?
How much did this invention change America?
How did this invention change the United States?
Consider how frequently the invention or business is/was used; how the product or invention impacted other parts of the economy; how the invention change how people lived in the United States; and, lastly, how it impacted society as a whole.
Was this invention or company positive and helpful, or negative and harmful for most Americans?
Overall, did this invention, company, or product have a positive or a negative impact on life in America? Consider that every change has both positive and negative impacts of some sort – the invention of the light bulb, for example, ruined the kerosene and whale oil industries in America…but it has still been a pretty good product, right?
The Top Seven (7)Industries and Inventions
Finally, rank the most important and influential seven inventions and businesses in order from the most influential and positive to the seventh most influential and positive. There will be three inventions and/or business left out – you will consider these the least important or most harmful.
EXPLAIN.
Be prepared to explain your answers!!!
Why are the top seven industries and inventions so influential, positive, and helpful?
Why did you chose to leave your three least influential inventions or industries off the list?
YOUR EXPLANATIONS MATTER!
Each group should finish up with a list of the seven (7)most influential and positive inventions and industries, which they all agree on.
Each group should have a list of three (3) least influential inventions and industries, which they all agree on.
Each group must be able to explain why they decided to arrange the information in the unique manner which they did.
