MIDWEST MAGAZINE
By: Dru Selby and Caitlin Alexis
Arguably The Two Greatest Inventors Of All Time
Two men have made their impacts on not only the textile industry, not only america, but the whole world. Samuel Slater, at first an inventor in Europe, then as a disguised farmer, he came to the United States of America. Slater began to later use entire families, including children who moved to Pawtucket to work for him in his mills. In order to make sure that the families would stay, Samuel started to build homes, along with company stores that families could get discounts at instead of a full paycheck. Slater's plan of action became known as the Rhode Island System.
The second man to hit The United States was Eli Whitney, Eli addressed the problem of not being able to make muskets fast enough and the general problem of not being able to do mass production on certain objects. Whitney produced the idea to used water power machines and the idea to use interchangeable parts for factory made items. Both of these ideas have proved that American inventors could be just as brilliant as European inventors.
Textile Mills are a huge reason why the industrial revolution is currently happening today. Although they sound amazing, they are not what they seem at first glance, the mills are very dusty and dirty, these conditions made it hard for employees to breath. The Mills also used children to work, but the children didn't get the same pay for doing the same jobs. Eli Whitney along with Samuel Slater, even though they have passed. Have made a huge contribution to not only the Textile Mills, but the whole industrial revolution.
Mills and there working conditions
The spread of mills changed workers lives because it was different than what they were used to they didn't need their old skill that they needed for farming and such they worked with machines that did most of the work. Most of the workers lived in the town but the mills had to be by waterfalls/rivers because that was the power source when they changed it to steam it helped the workers get there faster.
Then the Lowell system and the Rhode island system formed was focused on hiring young unmarried women/girls that can spin thread and weave cloth and was invented by Francis Cabot Lowell then the Rhode island system is hiring whole families so it was harder for them to leave and that helped Samuel Slater because the people he trained his apprentices all would leave.
Transportation revolution
Steam power
Samuel F. B. Morse invents the telegraph in 1832. Long distance communications become easier, and faster. A device that could send info across long distances, led to Morse code, Alfred Lewis Vail developed a system, Morse Code, The telegraph sent pluses and surges of electric current through a wire.
Steam powered equipment was the start of a new industry with steamboats and textile mills they were used a lot when steamboats were invented they were used more and more because they were the cheapest way to travel over water but they also
1837, John Deere invents the steel plow able to go through farm soil without constantly having to clean the plow. 1831 Cyrus McCormick developed the mechanical reaper, efficiently cut down wheat.
Inventions in the home- Things changed inside homes when new inventions first it was the sewing machine which helped people make there own products. then it was the icebox which helped keep fresh food safe for longer periods of time. And last they created iron cook stoves in places of cooking fires and stone hearths.
Things changed inside homes when new inventions first it was the sewing machine which helped people make there own products. then it was the icebox which helped keep fresh food safe for longer periods of time. And last they created iron cook stoves in places of cooking fires and stone hearths.
All of the recent advancements in technology, a lot of options have developed over the past couple years about it. Starting with the telegraph, there could be many opinions upon it, personally, I think that Samuel F. B. Morse inventing the telegraph in 1832, was one of the most important technological leaps of history. The telegraph works by sending pluses and surges of electric current through a wire, to communicate, Alfred Lewis Val, shortly after