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Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney patents his famed Cotton Gin to comb and deseed bolls of cotton.This vastly speeds up the collection of cotton. His invention makes possible a revolution in the cotton industry and the rise of "King Cotton" as the main cash crop in the South. -
Interchangeable Parts
Eli Whitney is assigned to manufacture 10,000 muskets for the U.S. Army.Whitney divided the labor into several discrete steps and standardized parts to make them interchangeable. This make manufacturing, and repair of the muskets quite easy compared to previous methods -
Period: to
New US Technology
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Steamboat
Robert Fulton, opens American rivers to two-way travel via his machine run steamboat engine ship. His steamboat the "Clermont" travels 150 miles upstream between New York and Albany at an average speed of 5 mph. -
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal drastically improves speed of Shipping in America. The "Seneca Chief" will make the inaugural run through the Erie Canal in 1825. -
Mechanical Reaper
The McCormick Reaper, which cut grain much faster than a man could, failed to catch on immediately, but quickly prospered. After selling only 40 reapers in 4 years, McCormick took his operation to Chicago; by 1871 his company was selling 10,000 reapers per year. -
Revolver
Sameul Colt's new weapon failed to catch on quickly, and he went bankrupt in 1842. After reorganizing, he sold his first major order to the War Department during the Mexican War in 1846, and went on to become rich. -
Steel Plow
John Deere invented the Steel Plow in 1837; it would be later dubbed the plow that broke the plains. Due to conventional wood plows being unable to plow Middle-West soil without breaking, a steel plow was invented by Deere to make plowing fields less time consuming and easier. -
Telegraph
Samuel F.B. Morse demonstrates his telegraph by sending a message to Baltimore from the Supreme Court in Washington. The message, "What hath God wrought?," brought forth the beginning of a new era in communication. -
Repeating Rifle
B. Tyler Henry, chief designer for Winchester's arms company, adapts a breech-loading rifle and creates a new lever action repeating rifle. First known as the Henry, the rifle will soon be famous as simply the Winchester. -
Oil Pipeline
Built in the oil fields at Pithole, Pennsylvania, Samuel van Syckel's five mile, pump operated pipeline made oil transport easier. However, it was destroyed by Teamsters, but it was ultimately rebuild and protected by men hired by Syckel. -
Barbed Wire
Lucien B. Smith invents Barbed Wire, which will help close down open cattle ranches and seperate privately owned propoerty. By the 1890's open ranches will have been all but forgotten. -
First Ever New York City Subway
In 1870, Alfred Beach invented the Pneumatic Subway, building it in secrecy under Broadway. Beach's single subway car, is driven along the 300 foot tunnel by a 100 horsepower blower. -
Eads Bridge Successfully Tested
James B. Eads successfully tested his bridge crossing the Mississippi, which was the first ever bridge to use steel as its primary component. Eads bridge was also the first to use cantilever support only, which means that the steel beams were supported on only one end. -
Sholes and Glidden Typewriter
Christopher Latham Sholes invents the first Commercially successful typewriter. -
First Electric Dental Drill
George Green of Kalamazoo, MI invents s an electric powered device to drill teeth. This was important in the health field as it drastically reduced tooth decay. -
Telephone Invented
Alexander Graham Bell successfully tests his telephone. The invention of the telephone was a momentous leap in American technology, and the telephone rendered the telegraph obsolete and outdated. However, the telegraph continued to be used periodically, although in general played second fiddle to the telephone -
Mimeograph invented
The mimeogrpah, invented by Thomas Edison, was a lcheap printing press that worked by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper, thus reating words and patterns. -
Invention of the Phonograph
2 years before he invented the Light Bulb, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. This device was meant to replay sound recordings, and in its first demonstration, it played back Edison's voice to a citizen who turned the crank that powered the phonograph. -
Incandescent Light Bulb
Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb in his Menlo Park, New Jersey labratory, which used electricity to produce light. He was given $30,000 in research funds provided by irobber barons such as J.P. Morgan and Vanderbilt -
Skyscraper
William Le Baron Jenney built the 10-story Home Insurance Company Building, this building was the first to use steel girder construction, and over the next 9 years many more skyscrapers would be built in Chicago. -
Electric Railroad
In 1888, Frank Sprague invented a new way of railroad travel, Electric Railways. The electric powered train utilized a third wheel, which would conduct electricity into the motor car in order to power the train. -
Kodak Camera Invented
George Eastman invented a relatively compact, portable, hand held camera that came pre-loaded with film. After the film was used up, one would send it back to Kodak for new film and developed pictures. -
Dishwasher
In 1889, Mrs. W.A Cockran of Indiana, invented a working dishwashing machine. She had worked on the machine's design for about a deacade -
Escalator
At the Coney Island Amusement Park, Jesse W. Reno invented the escalator, which moved passangers up a converyor belt at a 25 degree angle. This was important as it was an improvement to stairs. -
Basketball
James Naismith, a Springfield Massachusets YMCA director, designed a game that could be enjoyed indoors in the winter months. The game consisted of shooting a ball into a hoop, and bouncing the ball when moving. The game, called Basketball, is popular to this day. -
Gas powered Car
Frank and Charles Duryea invent the first ever gas powered car built in the USA. It makes a successful test run in Springfield in 1893 -
Submarine
Although it was not the first ever submarine, J.P. Holland's submarine was the first practical submarine. It was Commisioned by the US Navy. -
Teddy Bear
America had a new sensation on its hands with the formation of the Teddy Bear as a childrens toy. Formed by the legend that TR refused to shoot a bear cub while hunting, it skyrocketed to popularity. -
First Air Conditioner
Willis H. Carrier designs the worlds first air conditioner. His device can control temperature and humidity, and he will go on to found his own company, the Carrier Corporation, which will manufacture air-conditioning equipment and gear. -
Wright Brothers Airplane
Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright become the first Human's to fly in their Flyer 1 aircraft in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The invention of the airplane leads to further development, and the airplane will be used in WW1 as a weapon. -
First Helicopter
Jacques and Louis Breguet created the first pilotable helicopter. although it was extremely unsteady and required that two men hold the helicopter steady from the ground it is still coveted as the first helicopter. -
Gieger Counter
Hans Gieger created what would later be titled the Gieger Counter. This prototype could only detect alpha particles of radiation. -
The Model T
The frist mass produced car, the Model T, was produced on August 12, 1908 and left the factory on September 27, 1908. THe Model T would be produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1908 to 1927. -
First Tank
Lancelot De Mole is often credited as being the first to actualy produce the first tank prototype although there is some controversy. His ideas where rejected by the government as a contract but it was still a breakthrough. -
Gas Mask
Garrett Morgan created the first, relitvly effective gas mask and called it the safety hood. Some inspiration for this device came to him after seeing what happened at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. His technology would later be considered in countering the Germans use of poison gas during World War 1. -
First Transcontinental Telephone Call
In 1914 AT&T's completed construction of the first transcontinental telephone line. This breakthrough furthur helped communicaiton to become easier and more efficent. -
Panama Canal
After 36 years of hard labor, the Panama Canal, brainchild of Teddy Roosevelt, finally cam to be. More than 25,000 men died, most of disease. The canal cuts the sailing distance from the East Coast to the West Coast by more than 8,000 miles. -
KDKA Radio
The first commercial radio broadcasts begin when KDKA of Pittsburgh launches. The station and the radio both experience immediate success; by the end of 1922, there will be 563 other licensed stations along with KDKA -
First Rocket
Robert H. Goddard makes the first successful launch of a liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts. The rocket reaches 41 ft. in altitude, and him and his team would launch a total of 34 rockets from 1926-1941 -
Conceptual Television
Philo Farnsworth demonstrates the first concept television for investors by broadcasting the image of a dollar sign.He receives support and money. He also applies for a patent, but he will never recieve his share of the fortune due to patent battles. -
Defibrillator
At Johns Hopkins University, Dr. William Bennett Kouwenhoven develops an invention thats purpose is jump-starting the heart with a burst of electricity. It -
Invention of the Jeep
Karl Probst, a talented designer, worked with the American Bantam car company to create the worlds first Jeep. The US army asked for a working prototype of a 4-wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle in 49 days. Probst initially declined the job offer, but accepted the offer when asked by the Army. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped
The USA developed the worlds first atomic bomb within the secret organization known as the Mahattan Project. The bombs, first tested in New Mexico, would be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WW2, and would claim hundreds of thousands of lives. -
DEET invented
The United States Army invented DEET to be used in future wars as insect repelent after their experiences with jungle fighting in the Pacific Theatre of WW2. DEET was also available commerically, and was not exclusive to the army. -
Microwave Oven
The Microwave Oven, which cooks food through microwaves, was discovered by Percy Spencer. He noticed that when working on an active radar set, a candy bar in his pocket melted. While not the first to notice this phenomenon, he was the first to invent a machine built to cook food with microwaves. It was called the "Radarange". -
Polaroid Camera
Dr. Edwin H. Land introduces a new camera that can produce a developed image in a minute flat. Land will later introduce a color polaroid in the 1960s. -
Telecaster Electric Guitar invented
Invented by Leo Fender, the electric guitar would be the driving force bechind the popularity of Rock'n'Roll music of the 1950s. The guitar, named the Telecaster, would become a favorite among guitarists worldwide. -
Radiocarbon Dating invented
In 1949, Willard F. Libby invented the procedure for Carbon Dating, which uses the naturally occuring isotope Carbon 14 to determine the age of carbonaceous molecules -
First Credit Card
Frank McNamara, Ralph Schneider and Matty Simmons invented the Diners Card, which is considered to be the World First Credit Card. The Diners Card allowed its holders to eat at restaurants without directly paying the restaurant. The Diners Card company would pay the restaurant, and the holder would pay the Company. -
UNIVAC I, Worlds first commercial computer invented
The Eckert and Mauchly Computer Co., based in Philadelphia, sells the first ever commerical computer to the US Census Bureau. Data was accessed by transmitting sonic pulses through mercury. 45 addditional computers would be sold -
Polio Vaccine
In 1952 Jonas Salk, an American scientist, invented the first safe and successful polio vaccine. His vaccine consisted of dead polio cells, so that the immune system could identify them with out putting the vaccine user at risk of the disease. -
Airbag
John W. Hetrick, in 1952, invented the first airbag after he and his family were involved in a car accident. He worked on blueprints and a design unitl he recieved a patent in August of 1952. -
Heart-Lung Machine
John Gibbons successfully performs the first open heasrt surgery in which a Heart-Lung machine is used to circulate and supply the blood with oxygen. This technology allowed Gibbons to operate on a dry and motionless heart, which increased operation safety and increases treatment options. -
Explorer I
Three months after the Soviet Union kicked off the Space Race by launching the Sputnik satellite, the U.S. responds by launching the Explorer I satellite. Its mission is to detect radiation; it suceeds and discovers one of the Van Allen radiation belts. -
USS George Washington launched
The USS George Washington was the lead ship in the US line of ballistic missile carrying submarines. The ship, loaded with two Polaris missiles, was able to successfully hit a target from 2,037 kilometers away. -
IBM Operating System
IBM rinvents the OS/360 which is the first mass-produced computer operating system. Using the OS/360, all computers in the IBM 360 family could run any software program. IBM quickly becomes a leader in the computer field -
Moon Landing
Millions watch worldwide as Apollo 11 touches down on the moon's surface and Neil Armstrong becomes the first human to set foot on the moon, thus trumping the Soviets in the "Space Race" -
Email
Ray Tomlinson, a programmer, working for the Department of Defenese, invented email. The first message was sent on a time-sharing computer in 1971. Tomlinson is also credited for inventing the "@" sign. -
First Video Game
Pong, invented by Noland Bushnell, becomes a hit amung American adults and children alike. The 28 year-old Bushnell will later found Atari -
Cell Phone
Invented by Martin Cooper, the cell phone would only continue to rise in popularity, as models became less bulky and more convienient. -
Barcode Invented
Bar-coded products arrive in American stores, while scanners at checkout stations read the codes using laser technology, causing the hand punched keyboard cash register to become obsolete -
post its
Post-it notes were co-invented by 3M employees Arthur Fry and Spencer Silver in 1974. They made communication easier in the workplace, and continue to be popular to this day -
Microsoft Invented
Bill Gates and Paul Allen form a partnership known as Microsoft to write computer software. The company will quickly take off, selling their first software to Ed Roberts at MIT, who has produced the first microprocessor-based computer. Gates will soon drop out of Harvard. -
Space Shuttle Invented
NASA successfully launches and lands its reusable spacecraft, the Space Shuttle. While extremely successful to this day, NASA will suffer a disaster in 1986 when Challenger (a shuttle) explodes after takeoff, killing all astronauts on board.
