The Industrial Revolution that occurred in the
19th century was of great importance to the
economic development of the United States.
Industrialization in America involved three
important developments. First, transportation
was expanded. Second, electricity was
effectively harnessed. Third, improvements
were made to industrial processes. These
improvements were made possible by the
great American inventors. Here is a look at ten
of the most significant American inventors
during the 19th century.
1. Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison and his workshop patented
1,093 inventions. Included in this were the
phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, and
the motion picture. He was the most famous
inventor of his time and his inventions had a
huge impact on America's growth and history.
2. Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel Morse invented the telegraph which
greatly increased the ability of information to
move from one location to another. Along with
the creation of the telegraph, he invented
morse code which is still learned and used
today.
3. Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone
in 1876. This invention allowed communication
to extend to individuals. Before the telephone
businesses had to rely on the telegraph.
4. Elias Howe/Isaac Singer
Elias Hower and Isaac Singer both were
involved in the invention of the sewing
machine. This revolutionized the garment
industry and made the Singer corporation one
of the first modern industries.
5. Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical
reaper which made the harvesting of grain
more efficient and faster. This helped farmers
have more time to devote to other chores.
6. George Eastman
George Eastman invented the Kodak camera.
This inexpensive box camera allowed individual
to take black and white pictures to preserve
their memories and historical events.
7. Charles Goodyear
Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber.
This technique allowed rubber to have many
more uses due to its ability to stand up to bad
weather. Interestingly, many believe the
technique was found by mistake. Rubber
became important in industry as it could
withstand large amounts of pressure.
8. Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla invented many important items
including fluorescent lighting and the
alternating current (AC) electrical power
system. He also is credited with inventing the
radio. The Tesla Coil is used in many items
today including the modern radio and
television.
9. George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse held the patent to many
important inventions. Two of his most
important inventions were the transformer
which allowed electricity to be sent over long
distances and the air brake. The latter
invention allowed conductors to have the
ability to stop a train. Previous to the
invention, each car had its own brakeman who
manually put on the brakes for that car.
10. Dr. Richard Gatling
Dr. Richard Gatling invented a rudimentary
machine gun that was used to a limited degree
by the Union in the Civil War. However, they
were used extensively in the Spanish-American
War.