- What was it?
- When was it invented?
- Who invented it (or got credit)?
- What made it so great?
P.S. The above item is a representation of a cotton (en)gin(e) . . . it was NOT invented in the 1800s...do not choose it.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The Greatest USA Invention of the 1800s!
Many awesome things were invented (or credited with invention) in the USA in the 1800s. . . according to you, what was the greatest invention of the 1800s in the USA? Put it in the comments of this post:
This is due by 11/28 (Monday) at 11:59pm!
P.S. The above item is a representation of a cotton (en)gin(e) . . . it was NOT invented in the 1800s...do not choose it.
P.S. The above item is a representation of a cotton (en)gin(e) . . . it was NOT invented in the 1800s...do not choose it.
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The greatest invention of the 1800s was the telephone. Invented in the 1870s by Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone made long distance communication much easier. Along with it's sister invention, the telegraph, the phone revolutionized communication. While the telegraph has become obsolete, the telephone is still one of the most popular technological devices today. With almost every person high school age or older carrying a cell phone, a mobile version of the telephone, Bell's invention was not only an influential development at the time, but also a timeless piece of technology that will continue to be used well into the future.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone
The telegraph was the greatest invention of the 1800s. It was first successfully used on May 24, 1844 by Samuel B. Morse when he electrically transmitted the famous message, "What hath God wrought?" The telegraph is the greatest invention because like the telephone, it made long distance communication, 'a breeze'. In addition to simplifying communication, it changed the ways of doing business throughout the U.S. The telegraph set the stage for where we are now in the world with companies such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc. Without Samuel Morse's telegraph, the way we communicate today could have been drastically different.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/sfbmhtml/sfbmtelessay.html
The greatest invention of the 19th century was the invention of an entirely new form of communication, Morse Code. It was invented by Samuel Morse in 1832, in collaboration with Alfred Vail, and totally reinvented international communication for more than 150 years. It used a system of dots and dashes corresponding to letters of the alphabet, and was used by Americans in the military, on boats, and in other industries. It was extremely important because it helped bring the world together, by standardizing it internationally at a point. It is no longer required on boats as of 1999, but it was the longest lasting electronic coding system ever. Pilots, however, still use Morse code regularly and it is required in training for all pilots to this day. In short, Morse code was important because of its widespread popularity in the world and how so many different groups used it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code#Development_and_history
The can opener was by far the greatest USA invention of the 19th century. Invented in 1858 by Ezra Warner of Waterbury, Connecticut, USA, the can opener replaced the former hammer and chisel method of opening metal cans. Warner's device instead used a lever and a chisel, simplifying the preceeding and incredibly inconvenient way of the previous fifty years. How would you like to have to hammer open your precious can of soup? Warner didn't much fancy it, and sure knew America didn't either. Although an obviously simple small machine, the can opener continues today to be a helpful tool in the kitchen for hundreds of thousands of everyday Americans, and the rest of the world beyond.
Source: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1800a.shtml
The best invention that was made in the 1800s was something that we still use toda... Blue Jeans.Levi Strauss, a German Immigrant, made the idea of using copper rivets at stress points in the pants to make them more durable. He got this pattened in 1873, and worked with Jacob Davis to perfect jeans. Jeans were sperb because they provided pants that were great for working men because of their great durability. Levi pants are still around today, and are being ever mnore perfected as time goes on. It is important to know the history of blue jeans because they are more important thatn simply being pants, but that they demonstrated the working mentallity of the time period during the 1800's.
SOURCE:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1800b.shtml
The greatest invention in the 1800s was undoubtedly what is considered today as America's favorite beverage: Coca Cola. The beverage was concocted in 1886 by a pharmacist of the name Doctor John Pemberton, who made the mixture using a three legged brass kettle in his backyard. Coca Cola revolutionized the beverage industry, leaving many amazed at the beverage's almost immediate success in becoming America's most popular fountain drink only several years after its invention. While the beverage has undergone numerous stages and formula changes, the factor that initially made the invention so great still remains; its successes are no less today than they were more than a decade ago. Coca Cola continues to be one of America's most valued companies, its products consumed at a rate of more than one billion drinks per day. The brand has become a household name, and is deserving of the label as one of the greatest inventions of the 1800s.
The Greatest Invention from the 1800's, undoubtedly, was the invention of the Vulcanization process by Charles Goodyear. The process, discovered in 1839, revolutionized the way that rubber would be utilized then and today. According to the source, by heating the rubber a chemical reaction occurs which forms bonds between the sulfur and rubber. By doing this, the rubber maintains its elasticity while also remaining strong. As a result of this ground-breaking discovery, rubber was able to be applied further because the strength and new properties allowed it to be implemented in more diverse environments.
Source:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/633433/vulcanization
The greatest invention of the 1800s was the typewriter. It was invented by Christopher Sholes in 1868. Sholes had been trying to invent a machine that would automatically number book pages when a colleague mentioned attempting to add the alphabet to his machine. This was such an important invention because it revolutionized the office worker's job. Desk jobs became a lot more efficient. Unfortunately, when it was first invented it wasn't widely used. The use of the typewriter lasted until the late 1980s. It also paved the way for other word processors to be created.
http://www.officemuseum.com/typewriters.htm
The circuit breaker was the greatest invention of the 1800s. It was invented by a man named Charles Grafton Page in 1836, and it was and still is a very influential invention. A circuit breaker serves as a sort of switch, and its purpose is to prevent damage on an electrical circuit. It discontinues electrical flow if there is an overload or short circuit. The circuit breaker is far more superior to a fuse because it can be reset and reused. This was a very important invention because it was a revolutionary safety feature that saved time and money. The circuit breaker helps to prevent fires from overloads, and it protects electrical devices from breaking. Since our society is very dependent on electricity, this invention is extremely useful in maintaining electrical devices that would fail without it. This is why I believe the circuit breaker was the greatest invention of the 1800s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_breaker
The greatest invention of the 1800s was obviously the electric lightbulb. Although the first electric light was invented in 1802 by Humphry Davy, Thomas Edison gets credit for inventing the first practical electric light bulb. In 1879, Edison patented his electric light, which lasted for about 13.5 hours. This light bulb revolutionized American life by rendering oil lamps obsolete, which made homes safer and also stimulated the spread of electricity into houses across the country. It is also a much more reliable way to light both homes and businesses, extending the "day" long after the sun has gone done in an efficient manner that is still used today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescent_light_bulb
The greatest invention of the 1800s was the radio, developed by Nikola Tesla in 1893. At his lab in St. Louis, Missouri, Tesla was able to create and demonstrate his radio before Thomas Edison, even though he had help from less staff. It sent electrical messages distances that were unheard of in his era. This invention revolutionized communication, made the telegraph obsolete, and its original version was so ahead of its time that parts of it are still used in modern radios. Unfortunately, Tesla died with little money to his name and was overshadowed by Edison, even though Edison's superior genius was debatable. He was also seen as a mad scientist before his death, as he had plans to create weapons utilizing electricity and had blueprints for flying machines. Nevertheless, the radio is one of his greatest inventions and was a giant step towards the future in communication. Throughout the 1900s, it was rare to find a home without a radio.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1800b.shtml
The greatest invention of the 1800's was the dishwasher, first developed in 1850, but perfected by Josephine Cochran in 1886. We all have had to do the dishes, and doing them by hand can be such a hassel. With this groundbreaking invention, families could simply load up the dishwasher and allow this machine to do more work than we could do by hand. I know that one of my chores at home is doing the dishes, and after Thanksgiving dinner with all my relatives, the mountain is enormous. But the dishwasher saves me the time i would spend doing the dishes, and can now instead spend time with my family. But it also proved to be a gateway for other home inventions, such as the washing machine, dryer, and vacuum cleaner. We have all pushed the "start" button on the dishwasher before and it will continue to carry on to be one of America's greates inventions.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bldishwasher.htm
An invention of the 1800s that stands as possibly the best of the era is the Gatling gun. It was invented by Richard Gatling in 1861 and in 1862 he founded the Gatling Gun Company. The weapon could "enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred" in the Civil War, where much of the death was being had by disease. It revolutionized American warfare and, sadly, helped in making the Civil War the bloodiest of all time for the United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Jordan_Gatling
Jacob Perkins, American inventor, had invented quite a few useful tools, such as the bathometer (which measured the depth of water). However, his most useful invention was the precursor to an appliance many of us take for granted; the refrigerator. While his original invention was used to create ice and cool liquids, the principle and method was eventually used for modern refrigeration.
Source: http://www.innovateus.net/content/jacob-perkins
Another very important invention credited to Nikola Tesla was alternating current. It was invented in 1888, only four years after he immigrated to America. This system of electricity, although invented after direct current, the form of electricity developed by Thomas Edison, was far superior. It was much more efficient than direct current, and was also able to be transported great distances through wires, compared to the relatively short range of Edison’s system. Although Edison claimed alternating current was unsafe, Tesla was able to prove how much better it was and it became adopted in many places. In fact, I believe this to be the most important invention of the 1800s because almost all machines which use electricity in the modern age utilize alternating current, making it extremely important in the society of the 1800s, as well as today.
http://www.teslasociety.com/ac.htm
The greatest invention was the sewing machine, invented by Elias Howe. People all over the world had been trying for years to create one. After hearing about the idea, Howe worked for five years on the idea and finally in April 1845 he made the first automatic sewing machine. This machine could stitch 250 stitches a minute. The sewing machine was important because it made sewing clothes faster which worked with the focus on producing products quickly.
http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/Elias_Howe.htm
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/sewmachine.htm
One important invention that had a major impact on urban transportation was the electric street car. Thomas Davenport (July 9, 1802- July 6, 1851) was an American blacksmith. Davenport invented the electric engine in 1834 and then later established the first commerical eletric street car in 1835. He had a pattent made in 1837 certifing that the product was his. This was the main way for transportation for the city until the subway was invented which is what made this invention so great.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1800a.shtml
One of the greatest inventions of the 1800s is also one of the most overlooked. I mean, when’s the last time you zippered your coat and thought “Thank goodness for zippers?” The zipper was invented in 1851 by Elias Howe, who also invented the sewing machine, though his zipper was slightly different from our modern one. Zippers are extremely important in our lives today, not only because they close our coats well, but also close our pants and close our bags. Can you imagine sending your luggage though baggage at an airport only closed with buttons? It’s much harder to steal from a purse with a zipper than a purse with buttons. And the original blue jeans were closed only with buttons. With zipper technology advances, they can now be made airtight, allowing an easier creation of the wetsuit. So next time you are getting ready to go out in the winter, be grateful for the greatest invention of the 1800s – the zipper.
The greatest invention of the 1800s was by Eadweard Muybridge with the printing press. Mubridge designed the printing press in 1847. This revolutionized how people got their information. Books were now easier to make and the price of books would go down and became more available to a wider range of people. Modern newspapers were a result of the printing press, information was more easily spread. Flyers could fill the streets. This was the start to mass media.
http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/274.html
The most creative invention during the 1800's was for sure the game of basketball. It involves bouncing a ball up and down a court and trying to get it in the opponents basket which is ten feet off the ground. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. This game was invented in the United States by James Naismith in 1891. He developed it in Springfield, Massachusetts, using a soccer ball and peach baskets. He invented this at the YMCA so his students could participate in sports during the winter. This invention is great because this sport is played in the olympics, a big part of our culture today, and creates a big source of income and marketing. It has stuck with the country for a long time making a big impact.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/us.shtml
One of the many great inventions of the 1800s was the sewing machine. It was technically invented in 1846 by Elias Howe but Isaac Singer was the one to perfect it. What made this invention significant was that it was the foundation of the clothing industry, a huge component of northern industrialization. The invention of the sewing machine made a contribution to the increase of women in the workforce in this time period as the factory system took root in the American economy.
Source: The American Pageant, Page 304
The hand-cranked ice cream maker is the most important invention of the 1800s. Invented in 1843 by a New England housewife named Nancy Johnson, it allowed people to make the frozen treat any time they wanted. However, she could not crank out enough ice cream to make a profit, so she sold the ice cream maker to a Philadelphia company that made it a must-have kitchen appliance by 1847. While it has been largely replaced by automatic ice cream makers today, it paved the way to making America's favorite frozen treat.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream_maker
One of the greatest inventions of the 1800s was cotton candy. Cotton candy was invented in 1897 by William Morrison and John C. Wharton. Both of these men were candy makers in Nashville Tennessee. This was a great invention because cotton candy, which was first called “Fairy Floss”, is a tasty treat that anyone can enjoy. Cotton candy was introduced at the world fair in St. Louis in 1904.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/c/cottoncandy.shtml
One of the best inventions of the 19th century that is often not taken into account, is the safety pin. The safety pin was invented by one Walter Hunt on April 10th, 1849, who lived in New York, NY. He invented this so he could pay off a $15 debt, and ended up selling his patent (#6281)for $400. Little did he know how effective his invention was. I know, I personally have used the safety pin many a time. It is extremely versatile, from keeping clothing intact, to holding two pieces of fabric close that are yet to be sewn together. They also held diapers together, in the days before pampers. What a useful invention, it is a pin that you won't likely stab yourself with!
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/s/safetypin.shtml
woops
The greatest invention of the 1800s I believe to be barbed wire.Barbed wire was invented by Joseph Glitin who was a farmer from De kalb, Illinois (which today is the the home of Northern Illionois University). Barbed wire was first invented in the year 1873 and not only did Gliton invent it but he figured out a way to mass produce it. I believe barbed wire was the best invention of the 1800s because it was eccencial for the farmers to have to keep their animals kept in place which was vidal to the farmers moving out west also barbed wire was important to the farmers because the fences made by the barbed wire made a clear indication about whoose land was whoose and it greatly lowered the prices to enclose ones land. Barbed wire was also used to keep Native Americans in their reserves (not so good for the Native Americans, they called it Devals Rope) which enabled the United states to more easily obtain the land it has today. Also, through out time barberd wire has played a huge part in warefare and is even still used frequently today.
http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventions/a/BarbedWire.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbed_wire#In_the_American_West
The most important invention of the 1800s is the Zoopraxiscope, a primitive camera that rapidly took pictures that could be watched in a sequence. This invention was developed in 1879 by Eadweard Muybridge. This is the greatest US invention of the century because of its long-term effects on pop culture and the way we view information today. Although Muybridge's Zoopraxiscope was a long way away from the cameras we know today, it created the concept of taking individual frames and stringing them together in order to get a fluid-looking motion and without its invention, the later invention of televisions and more sophisticated cameras may have been delayed many years, if not decades.
http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventors/a/Muybridge.htm
Don't listen to the others, they're inventions don't even compare to this next one! The greatest invention of the eighteen hundreds (barely making it on the list, having appeared in 1899) was the most outstanding breakthrough thus far- the paper clip. The paper clip, having been credited to a Samuel B Fay, made it's first appearance at any time between 1894 and 1899. Originally, Samuel had created these small wire clips to attach price tags to ready made clothing to avoid tears from tagging with needle and thread as well as residue from adhesive tapes. Later on, the small pinwheel shaped piece of wire was later marketed to business owners, and even became a competitive item to sell, as each shape was constantly being patented. Shapes varied from our modern day paper clip to multiple piece paperclips shaped like owls and religious symbols. Clips were sold based on what purpose they claimed to be used for, and how cheap they were. In the day, this easy and space saving little clip was a complete change in the filing of the era. Businesses that once needed to hold papers in separate, thick folders could now toss them in a drawer without the dividers knowing they would stay separate. Most importantly of all though, the paperclip offered a cheap solution to the newly invented stapler, which was more costly and quickly went through supplies. The paperclip, however, could be bough cheap, was reusable, and removable. You never would have thought how frustrating every day filing would be without the little guys!
http://www.officemuseum.com/paper_clips.htm
Currently in America, over 1/3 of American adults are obese and nearly half are overweight. Wearing yoga pants, short shorts, and bikinis might all be out of the question for these people's wardrobes, but luckily they can wear blue jeans. This is all because of a 19th century invention. On May 20, 1873, Jacob Davis was granted the patent for the "reinforcing rivet". This is the small copper circle that is sewn into many blue jeans above the front pockets. These rivets help reinforce the stress points of blue jeans, thus decreasing the chance of the pants ripping. Because of this, "large" people everywhere can enjoy the comfort of blue jeans.
*although Davis is from Latvia, the question asked for an invention "in the USA" and the copper rivet was first used in Reno, Nevada.
The greatest invention of the 19th century was clearly the mechanical reaper. It was developed by Cyrus McCormick in 1831, and mass production of this agricultural tool started in 1847. The mechanical reaper is a blade attached to a wheel, so that when the wheel turns, the blade spins as to cut grain. This mechanical system is operated by a horse that pulls the machine, thus turning the wheel. This invention was important because it enabled farmers to do far less work, because before they ha sickles that had to be operated by hand, and were very inefficient. The mechanical reaper changed the agricultural industry by saving farmers vast amounts of time and money with it's simple design and ease of use. All of this was made possible by Cyrus McCormick.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blmccormick.htm
Perhaps the best invention was the sugar evaporation system designed by Norbert Rillieux, an African-American, in 1843. It was designed as a more efficient way to evaporate the liquid part of the juice found in sugar cane. It was also less dangerous and less expensive than the open-kettle that was used at the time. It took several years before he successfully sold it to plantion owners and stirring up a big hit.
http://www.150.si.edu/150trav/remember/r820.htm
One of the greatest inventions made in the United States during the 1800s was the Escalator. Created by Jesse W. Reno in 1891, his idea of the first escalator was a wedge-shaped support system that had a 25 degree incline with a conveyor belt that would carry people from floor to floor in a building in an easier fashion. Even though his patent was improved and bought by Georg A. Wheeler, the whole idea of this moving staircase came from Reno. This is very important in our up-to-date design escalator because it allows us lazy people to not have to move up a tiresome staircase and just relax on one that MOVES!
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1800b.shtml
In 1834, the foundation was laid for one of the greatest inventions of the modern world; the refrigerator. Massachusetts native, Jacob Perkins invented an early refrigerator like device that he called the ether ice machine. It used ether in a vapor compression cycle that allowed the refrigeration to become the first practical use in history. Eventually, Jacob Perkins’ invention led to two improved refrigerator design patents by two African Americans; Thomas Elkins and John Standard, in 1879 and 1891. Overall, without the invention of Jacob Perkins, refrigeration would not be what it is today, in turn, affecting the inventions of air conditioning and train refrigeration cars, eventually leading to a lesser impact of the meat packing industry.
**sources**
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrefrigerator.htm
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/Nineteenth_2.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/jacob-perkins
The process of Vacuum Evaporation was the most useful invention of the 19th century. It allowed for sugar cane growers to quickly harvest sugar from water in the cane. it was invented in 1843 by Norbert Rillieux. without this process we would not have cheep sugar which would mean less sweets and candy, and who wants that?
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/inventions-of-the-1800s.html
The greatest invention of the 1800s was the Pullman sleeping car for train travel which was patented by George Pullman in 1857. It is significant because during this time period, the railroad was becoming a more prevalent form of transportation and the Pullman sleeping car enabled people to be able to travel for longer periods of time and therefore greater distances. This opened up the horizon of using the railroad as a tool for westward expansion.
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/Nineteenth_2.htm
The greatest invention of the 1800s was the cash register. James Ritty designed and patented the idea in 1879. The cash register made it easier for merchants to track their sales. The cash register is an invention, although greatly improved, that is still used today. A world without cash registers or cashiers is unimaginable, it is something so common it is often over looked as a genius idea.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1800b.shtml
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