Technologies of the Industrial Revolution

The Lightbulb

• Significance: Reduced people’s dependence on candles and lamps. People spent less time candle making and had easier access to light at night.

The Steamboat• Significance – The steamboat made travel

much quicker and cheaper for many people. It also made trade much easier which helped grow the U.S economy.

Telegraph• Significance – For the first time ever,

communication could be immediate, rather than weeks of mail delivery. The beginning of the communication revolution.

Telephone• Significance – Further increased the

communication revolution.

Railway• Significance – The railway allowed for

increased transportation of people, material, and trade goods.

The Spinning Jenny• Significance – Allowed people to spin much more

thread at a time increasing profits and the supply of thread. First item to increase efficiency in order to increase supply. The beginning of the spread of textile mills

The Cotton Gin• Significance – The cotton gin allowed cotton to be

processed much easier, leading cotton to become a major cash crop. This led to a huge rise in slavery.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

• The previous pictures are signs of economic growth.

• Less time is spent on individual products and more time is spent on producing many standardized/identical items at a time.

• This means much more profit. • …Now lets connect that to United States

history during the Industrial Revolution.