Modern Inventions
The wonderful world of technology
Inventions made work easier
Life Before Water Power Was Hard
Before there was water power everyone had to make things by hand, like clothes. People brushed, spun, and weaved cloth all by hand.
Woman spinning wool by hand
People used a large wheel to spin the spool so the wool rapped around.
Woman brushing wool out by hand
People used brushes with metal spikes to brush knots out of wool.
People weaving by hand
After brushing and spinning they wold make cloth with a weaver
Water Power Made Textile Production Easier and More Efficient
When water power wheels were invented, they were used to power factories of spinning, brushing, and weaving machines.
Spinning Jenny
The Spinning Jenny was invented by James Hargreave in 1764 to replace the old hand spinner. This was not water powered, but it made spinning much easier.
Flying Shuttle
The Flying Shuttle was a water powered weaver invented in 1733 by John Kay to replace the hand weaver.
The Water Frame
The Water Frame was a water powered spinner that was invented in 1769 by Richard Arkwright to replace the Spinning Jenny.
The Steam Engine Revolutionize Machines
In the late 1700's the steam engine was invented to power machines rather than water.
Steam Powered Water Pump
The Steam Engine allowed people to invent things like this Steam Powered Water Pump, which was used to pump water out of coal mines.
Steam Powered Locomotive
The Locomotive was made possible by the invention of the steam engine, and was used to transport goods across Europe, and America.
Steam Powered Toffee Maker
People actually used steam engines to make toffee makers, which replaced factories because one machine could do is all.
Electric Power Became The Most Efficient Power Source
In the 1800's Micheal Faraday discovered how to turn electricity into power and invented the Dynamo.
The Electric Light Bulb.
The electric light bulb invented in the 1870's by Thomas Edison was used to replace candle light.
Elevators
The elevator invented in the 1880's was used to make moving through large buildings easier, rather than climbing flights of stairs.
Radio
The radio was a revolutionary means of communication that was invented in the 1890's by Marconi. The radio was used for shows, sport events, and news, and all you had to do was turn it on and tune it to a channel rather than calling them.