Factory System
Electric Light Bulb
The factory system
started to form as cotton textile
industries started to grow,
especially in Northern New
England. For example, two
merchants with the name of
William Almy and Smith
Brown created their necessary
machinery and built a small
mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1790. Soon not did it only spread
through New England but it also widely spread through America. Then,
the Boston Associates, a group of investors, created a system, which
included all the stages and process of production of a cotton textile
industry. This system eventually was called the factory system. By 1850,
the Waltham Lowell-type mills in Northern New England understood the
efficiency of productivity in factories in comparison to the work
accomplished at home. In the 19th century, not only textile mills use the
factory system but also other industries such as the shoemaking
industries started to use the factory system.
There is one most important reason why this concept covers most
of the industrial revolution. If we didn’t use the factory system for
production, the industry wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand
from the customers. Therefore, the industry would start to have problems
with the amount of time taken to produce only a few products or
materials. However, because we have the factory system, industries do
not have to deal with these kinds of problems. Other industries started to
realize this and they started to use the factory system as well for the
same reason because of the amazing efficiency. Therefore, many of the
industries were capable of producing huge numbers of products and
materials. This is why the factory system made the economy much easier
to smoothly carry through thinking of the supply and demand scale
where either goes up when one is at a low rate. Because of this huge
impact on economy the creation of the factory system is a huge part of
the industrial revolution.
Thomas Alva Edison invented the electric light bulb in 1879. The
electric light bulb, also known as the incandescent lamp, was an
invention that created light by heating the filament using the power of
the electric current. Thomas Alva Edison wasn’t the only inventor that
attempted to create the electric light bulb. Several other inventors
attempted to create the electric light bulb as well, but years of failure
had continued and finally Thomas Alva Edison successfully invented the
first electric light bulb among all the inventors. After the creation of the
electric light bulb, other inventors came up with ideas of inventing a
sub-divided electric light in order to weaken the brightness of the light
emitted from the incandescent lamp since it created a massive amount of
bright light when it was powered. Along with the creation of new ideas,
the electric industries started to grow from 1878 up to 1892, while the
competitiveness between companies and inventors started to fade.
This invention is one of the major innovations that happened
during the industrial revolution and there are three reasons to this. First
of all, this invention enabled people to lighten up areas where they
wanted without using and wasting candles or matches. This means that it
saved up those materials since lamps don’t
require several times of purchases and
creation every time you use it unlike
candles and matches. Second, invention
was a base to new ideas because of the fact
that inventors came up with a new idea of
weakening the brightness of the
incandescent lamp. And third, the electric
light bulb made people’s life easier and
convenient since it brightened up the room
by just one switch or button. If this wasn’t
invented, people might still be using
candles and matches to brighten the room.
This is why the invention of electric light
bulbs is one of the major changes and
innovations during this period of time.
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10
References
References
Arnold, J. R., & Wiener, R. (2005). The growth of the Industrial Revolution in America (p. 44). Danbury, Connecticut:
Scholastic Library.
Arnold, J. R., & Wiener, R. (2005). The telegraph and the corporation. In The growth of the Industrial Revolution in America
(pp. 55-58). Danbury, Connecticut: Scholastic Library.
Bellis, M. (n.d.). The history of the electric telegraph and telegraphy. In About.com. Retrieved November 24, 2010,from http:
//inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/telegraph.htm
Bellis, M. (n.d.). Rudolf Diesel (1858 - 1913). In About.com. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://inventors.about.com
/library/inventors/bldiesel.htm
Bellis, M. (n.d.). X-ray. In About.com. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://inventors.about.com/od/xyzstartinventions/
a/x-ray.htm
Ben Franklin’s famous kite experiment [Painting]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://thestormreport.com/2009/11/
benjamin-franklin-meteorologist/
Boyer, P. S. (2001). Factory system. In Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from The Oxford Companion to
United States History website: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O119-FactorySystem.html
Britton, I. (n.d.). Electric light bulb [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.freefoto.com/preview/11-12-52
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[Diesel engine] [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dieselduck.ca/historical/01%20diesel%20engine/
rudolph_diesel.htm
[Factories] [Painting]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.redfundsgroup.com/history/whlp3/section1/
Front view of printing machines [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/sia/29.1/
gelly.html
[Industrial Revolution] [Painting]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://factoidz.com/the-industrial-revolution-in-great-britain-and-its
-subsequent-rise-in-othercountries/
Lienhard, J. H. (n.d.). Rudolf Diesel. In University of Houston. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://www.uh.edu
/engines/epi1435.htm
[Lutwig van Beethoven] [Painting]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://impacthealth.info/cat21/
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2010, from http://inventors.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=inventors&cdn=money&tm=6&f=22&tt=
2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/97.html
Negative effects of the Industrial Revolution. (2007). Slideshare. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.
net/eben_cooke/negative-effects-of-the-industrial-revolution
Nussbaum, G. (2009). Discovery of electricity. In Mrnussbaum. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from Nussbaum Education
Network, LLC website: http://www.mrnussbaum.com/history/franklin.htm
[Radio] [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sierrapapa.it/sp-file2.htm
Samuel F. B. Morse. (n.d.). Locust Grove. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from Pen & Ink Creative website: http://www.lgny.
org/history/morse.html
Schmidt-Jones, C. (2008, September 19). The music of the Romantic Era. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://cnx.org
/content/m11606/latest/
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[Painting]. Retrieved from http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/stories/manufacture_by_machine/01.ST.
01/
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The Great Idea Finder. (2007, January 30). Lightbulb. In The Great Idea Finder. Retrieved November 28, 2010, from
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[X-ray] [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://reich-chemistry.wikispaces.com/Fall.2008.MMA.Cavicchi.Timeline
11
Ten Significant
Changes and Innovations
In the Industrial
Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution is a period in history where several
changes and innovations were made in several ways. It impacted the
world’s agriculture, politics, economy, sociality, and also changed many
other concepts and business through out the world. This period in
history carried on mainly from the 18th to the 19th century. The Industrial
Revolution impacted through out the world, but it mainly took place in
Europe and America, though it did also take place in some areas of Asia
and other continents. For example in America, segregation and
integration was a huge problem and meanwhile in Europe, textile
industries were developing at a fantastic speed. The opening of Japan
and the westernizing that occurred is an example of an innovation that
occurred during the Industrial Revolution. During this period, inventions
and creations were very common. This booklet will explain ten of the
significant changes that occurred during the Industrial Revolution.
American Textile Industries
Diesel Engine
Francis Cabot Lowell found the American textile industry/mill in
1814. This industry was named the Boston Manufacturing Company and
it was located in Lowell, Massachusetts. This industry was the first
large-scale, water powered textile industry in America. It consisted of all
his effort and hard work since he was finally able to fit in all processes
of the textile factory system. There are basically three steps to this
industry. The cotton is put through, then processed, and finally comes
out as a finished cloth. A water wheel is placed under each section of the
basement and acts as a power generator. This industry eventually went
through several evolutions and it had succeeded in creating a factory that
mechanized all the process of the creation of textile.
The founding of the American textile industry is a major part of
the Industrial Revolution because it is also famous among the history of
the Boston Associates for its style in working. They admired their smart
way of working, for example; businessmen found the extreme
movement of the river located near the industry as an obstacle for
business mean while Francis Cabot Lowell and his workers used this
water as a power source to his industry. It is also recognizable that the
foundation was important since it took place in Lowell, Massachusetts,
which is said to be the heart of the industrial revolution. This textile
industry can be said that it
is the base of the present
electricity powered textile
industries that people use
now. And because it is
more efficient and went
through many changes, it
shows how much this
industry helps make life
easier. This is why the
founding of the American
textile industry is a very
important part of the
several innovations.
In 1897, Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine in the
Augsburg Machine-Works located in Germany. This engine is also
called the internal combustion engine from its function. The diesel
engine compressed the diesel and combusted or burned it, which
powered the piston to move causing the whole vehicle or machine to
move. He had previously invented an experimental diesel engine in
1896, however, it ended up as a failure. This is the first completed
version of it. It had an efficiency of 25% and this number was a fairly
high rate compared to engines invented by others. It is said by most
people that the current models of
the engines are just improved
models of the diesel engine
invented by Rudolf Diesel.
This invention is one of the
biggest changes that occurred in
the 19th century and there are three
main reasons to explain this. First
of all, this invention was the base
of changes leading to eco-friendly,
electric powered, efficient, and
powerful engines we currently use
in everyday life. Not only that, but
it had also made several
economical and financial impact to
the industries of cars, electric
generating
plants,
boats,
submarines, locomotives, and other
vehicle-related industries or machinery which used the diesel engine.
But most of all, it had a huge impact in communication and trade since
using this engine would make exchange in letters, packages, etc. much
efficient and trading through out the world much faster as well. The
invention of diesel engines created a huge impact through out the whole
world this is the reason it is one of the major changes during the
industrial revolution.
3
8
Radio
Telegraph
In 1985, Guglielmo Marconi planned out an experiment where
he used the radio, also known as the practical wireless telegraphy, that he
invented to transmit electric signals from far distance. The demerit of
this invention was that it didn’t send audio messages, but instead it sent
Morse codes. Guglielmo Marconi was the first inventor to demonstrate
and prove the function of the radio. Some of the first users of this radio
were the Japanese and the Russians. They used it for military forces
especially during war to communicate and give commands to the
warriors even though they were far apart. For Guglielmo himself, it gave
him new ideas such as the transmitter he invented later on in history,
which contained approximately 10 times better technology and quality.
This invention extended the area of transmittable messages allowing him
to communicate across the Atlantic.
The radio allowed people to do so many things people weren’t
able to do. Wouldn’t this make the invention of the radio a major
innovation that occurred during the industrial revolution? The radio
allowed instant communication whether it is Morse code or audio
message. Unlike sending letters or actually having to talk to the person
you want to communicate, you can simply communicate through radio
any time and anywhere. This would shorten the time you would waste to
wait for the reply unlike letters which would’ve taken days to read, write
In May 1844, Samuel Finley Breese Morse invented the first
inter-city electromagnetic telegraph line and successfully proved that
signals and messages can be transmitted through wires as waves.
Samuel Morse was also the inventor of the Morse code, which included
dots and dashes representing numbers in 1836. He began experimenting
and building his telegraph from 1832 and this was how it functioned:
First, the electromagnetic recording telegraph and an electric device was
activated. When a signal in one circuit opened or closed, another circuit
boosted the signals. This allowed signals to be sent over long distances.
Soon in 1838, Morse invented a telegraph, however, his invention was
only capable of sending about ten words per minute. Samuel Morse’s
telegraph rapidly spread through America in 1846, and later on it was
improved so that signals
were exchangeable over
longer
distances
like
between
America
and
Europe.
There are four main
reasons of why the telegraph
is a huge part of history
during
the
industrial
revolution. One is because
the telegraph was invented at
the point where people preferred faster, instant communication over
communication through surface transportation. At that point in
American history, slow communication became a very important
problem that had to be covered since it became important to America as
it grew. And because of this invention, telegraph companies and
industries eventually became highly rated. It is possible to think that
business and economy became smoother due to the invention of instant
message or signal exchange. This is the reason of why the telegraph was
such a huge impact to the world during the period of changes and
innovations.
9
back, and send. For people
in war, it would act as a
walky talky to report
conditions and exchange
information.
If
this
invention wasn’t used in
war, one country may lose
the victory it could’ve
gotten, so it is easy to say
that one radio can change
everything. This is why it
is one of the most major
changes
during
the
Industrial Revolution.
2
X-Ray
Electricity From Lightening
Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen invented the X-ray on the 8th of
November in 1895. One day, he happened to see a slight image that
appeared separately between a certain distance while he was using his
cathode ray instruments, currently called the electron beam. He
researched on this image and discovered that it was not the rays of the
cathode instrument but a different kind of unknown ray. Because it was
unknown, he named the ray as “X”. This eventually became the name of
the origin of the X-ray since it symbolized a ray with a name of X. The
“X” ray was generated and because magnetic currents didn’t deflect it, it
penetrated several kinds of matter. He experimented his invention on his
wife and he successfully took a photograph showing the bones of his
wife’s hand.
This is a very important
part of the industrial revolution
and there are basically two
reasons to prove this. As all
people know, X-rays are currently
used for both medical uses and
safety uses for baggage check at
airports. It is not unusual to say
that doctors were able to save
lives, which might’ve been lost
without the invention of the Xray. And because they still exist
now, it proves that doctors show
the need of X-rays and how
useful it is for medical care. Soon after it was invented, it was
immediately used for medical uses and this shows that doctors found it
as a very useful equipment for them. The X-ray ability was also used for
baggage check in airports so that helped people have a safety flight.
Therefore, X-rays have saved peoples’ lives and also secured their
safety. This is why I think the discovery of the X-ray is a significant
event in the history of Industrial Revolution.
In 1752, Benjamin Franklin constructed an experiment where he
lifted a kite tied to a wire, which was connected to a key. This
experiment was constructed to prove that electricity could be created
from lightening or thunder. Benjamin formed a hypothesis for this
experiment. First, the lightening hits the wire creating electric fire, and
then the key tied to the wire would be contaminated with electricity
produced from the thunder. When he actually ran the experiment, the
wire sprung up the sudden the thunder struck the wire and when he
reached out for the key he felt a slight shock from it. From this, he
successfully proved the development of electricity from thunder or
lightening.
This is a very important part of history during the industrial
revolution because electricity is a power source which we use everyday
and it is a basic need for people so that they can use machines, boil
water, and basically live their life. Therefore, it is appropriate to say that
the discoveries that were made in the past of electricity have led to the
high technology future that we have now. We are no living in a world
where we can use electricity at any time, anywhere in the world.
Electricity has also kept us safe from thunder and storms since there are
new inventions such as the antenna, which takes in the thunder and
pushes it down underground. This keeps the building and the people in it
safe
from
burning
down, getting damaged
or
hurt.
Because
electricity has kept us
safe, convenient, and
also acted as a major
power source of our
daily
lives,
this
experiment turned out
to be one of the biggest
discoveries during the
18th century.
5
6
Factory Work
Romantic Music
Factory work, which was
carried along for most of the
industrial revolution, was very
difficult and dangerous. Workers
included men, women, and children
and they were expected to work for
12 to 16 hours. Children were forced
to work because of the lack of profit
in a family. After work, women were
still expected to cook, do the laundry
and finish up what was left of
housework. On top of that, workers
were automatically fired if they
complained, got sick, or were
injured. Women and children were
forced to work on the same level of
work as men do, difficult and
dangerous. However, even though children and women did the same
amount and level of work for the same period of time as men, they were
still paid less.
This is an important fact for people to know because it was very
unfair, unsafe, and unequal for women and children who did the same
kind of work for the same amount of time. They should be paid the same
amount as men and women and children should be given an easier job
where it wouldn’t be too difficult or dangerous. It would be fair if the
children and women were paid less in exchange for the lower level of
difficulty and safe jobs they would do along with shorter working time.
In our lives today, none of the children work because we are wealthy
compared to those, which were living during the Industrial Revolution.
It is important to acknowledge the harsh living conditions for those
people such as lack of money, difficulty of jobs, common injuries, and
also the unequal wages that were paid. This is why the negative effects
of factory work are important categories that should be well known for a
major part of the Industrial Revolution.
The romantic period started
in 1850 and ended in 1920. There
were several composers such as
Chopin, the composer of “Etude”
and Beethoven, the composer of
“For Elise”. The romantic period
covered so many categories as to
music, art, and also literature. The
Industrial Revolution affected the
romantic music in many ways. For
example, it made improvements in
the keys and valves for woodwind
and brass instruments. Romantic
music itself was an improvement as
well. Romantic music kept the form
of classical music and followed the same rules but the music itself has
changed. Some of the rules the romantic music followed were rules of
rhythm, melody, harmony, tuning, etc. There was more emotion to it
rather than only happy or sad. There were two types of music in general
and one was simply romantic music as to feelings and deep emotions,
but the other kind of music didn’t follow this and instead composed
7
music completely out of the romantic category.
Romantic music is a very important change that occurred during
the Romantic Period, which took place during the Industrial Revolution.
Generally stating, the evolution of classical music to romantic music
was also an evolution in communication. It was a method of
communication to express how they felt through music. Unlike classical
music where composers can only show if they’re happy or sad, romantic
music allowed composers to show more emotion to the listeners and the
audience. They were able to show joy, wildness, magic, fairy tail,
amusement, and all kinds of emotion and attitudes. Romantic music is
the start of where people were able to express new things through music.
Because romantic music itself was evolution in music, it covered a lot of
the Industrial Revolution.
4
About The Author
Joel Hayashi is currently age thirteen in grade eight
in Canadian Academy Kobe, Japan. He started to learn
English when he was two years old. His hobby is
snowboarding and when winter arrives, he often goes
snowboarding in many ski resorts through out Japan with
his friends and family. Hanging out with his friends are the
best times in his life. He can often be a bit talkative and
fool around at times but he is always serious when it
comes to schoolwork and grades. He is always busy with
homework and basketball after school, but he looks
forward to enjoy his last year in middle school and so far
he is having a great time.
Ten
Significant
Changes
And
Innovations
In the
Industrial
Revolution
Joel
Hayashi