Inventions of

the Industrial
Revolution

By Mr. M
Interchangeable Parts
by Eli Whitney
Before interchangeable parts – things like guns were made by hand. Because of this no two guns were exactly alike, and it was impossible to repair one if it had broken.

What did they do?

Interchangeable parts are small replaceable parts that are
exactly alike. Like screws or bolts!

Why are they important?

With interchangeable parts – factories could easily mass-produce
things like guns, clocks, locks, and other machines.

They allowed less-skilled workers to assemble items (and they

could be paid less)

Large factories put many small workshops out of business

Repairs became quick and easy

The Steamboat
by John Fulton

Before the steamboat, old-style keelboats had immense difficulty going upstream or against the wind and
current.

What did it do?

It had a steam-powered engine that turned two paddle wheels that were
so powerful that the boat could move against the current or even against
strong winds.

Why was it important?

With the invention of the steamboat, people, goods, and supplies could
travel farther and move at a faster rate.
The Cotton Gin
by Eli Whitney (again)

Cotton seeds were difficult to separate from cotton.

Workers (usually enslaved people) could only produce one
pound of clean cotton per day by hand.

What did it do?

The cotton gin picked seeds from cotton mechanically by
turning a handle, making it easier and much faster to do
The Importance of the Cotton Gin
Positive Effects
• The cotton gin made cleaning cotton 50x
faster. An enslaved person with a cotton gin
could produce over 50 pounds a day
Negative Effects
• Slavery increased dramatically after the
invention of the cotton gin

• Cotton production in the South

skyrocketed. Cotton became “king”

• Cotton became much more widely used

The Telegraph
by Samuel Morse

Before the telegraph, the only way to communicate was

through letters and the mail system, which took weeks

What did it do?

The telegraph used long and short pulses of electricity to
instantly send messages across long distances
Why was it important?
The telegraph made long-distance communication
INSTANTANEOUS
Use your brain…
Who or what might benefit from instant communication?
The Mechanical Reaper
by Cyrus McCormick

Before the mechanical reaper, harvesting grain was

done by hand with a scythe (think the Grim Reaper
but lamer), which was slow and difficult

What did it do?

The mechanical reaper automatically cut grain
while being pulled by a team of horses

Why was it important?

It made harvesting grain faster and easier. It
increased farming production and led to more
farmers moving west
The Bessemer Steel
Process
by Henry Bessemer

Before the invention of the Bessemer Process, the process

of turning iron into steel was difficult and expensive

What did it do?

The Bessemer Process allowed steel to be created
from iron without the use of excessive fuel

Why was it important?

It made steel easier and extremely cheaper to
make. This allowed factories to mass-produce
steel