Unit 3 Essay 2

Many of the inventions we have today are based off of the ones made in the 18 th
century. These were the golden years of inventions; manual became automatic. This
was the century of the Industrial Revolution.
Machines started taking over jobs in the 18th century. Peoples manual work just
wasnt fast enough for production; so the inventions started. The people working in
textiles couldnt seem to speed up production so John Kay invented the Flying Shuttle.
This machine improved looms and enables weavers to weave faster. James Hargreaves
then invented Spinning Jenny which improved the spinning wheel and sped up
production drastically. These inventions lead to what we have today such as clothing
factories that make clothes for us within minutes. Our production is now faster than its
ever been.
Machines started taking the place of many such as artisans, and currently still
are. Between the textile and agriculture inventions products and materials were being
produced quicker and cheaper. This meant good money for the employers, but meant
less pay and more hours for the employees. Unfortunately, we still have some of those
poor working conditions in third world countries such as Mexico and China.
Since production was taking off, people needed a quicker and more efficient way
to transport goods. Thomas Savery invented the steam engine, which then lead to
trains. Trains were fast and reliable for transportation; soon people were traveling by
train as well. Robert Fulton invented the steamboat, which was also a popular way to

transport goods. To this day, we still use freight/ cargo trains to carry and transport
goods across the country and ships to cross the seas.
As you can see, these inventions from the Industrial Revolution have helped the
world to be where its at right now. Some inventions have been drastically modified and
others have continually stayed the same and still mange to be efficient. With todays
knowledge, we continue to advance these original inventions.