Victorian Inventions

The middle and late nineteenth century was a golden age in American invention. The technology introduced by American inventors improved the standard of living. Many inventions produced in the Victorian era are now used daily in everyday life.

Many inventions seemed to really make the world "smaller."

Telegraph--Samuel Morse--(1832-1844)--This form of communication used a system of dots and dashes (the Morse Code) to represent letters used in relaying messages. He first conceived an electromagnetic telegraph in 1832, and made an experimental version in 1835. In 1844 he produced a telegraph key to expand the use and make the system more practical. Within ten years after the first telegraph line opened 23,000 miles of wire crisscrossed the country.

Telephone--Alexander Graham Bell--(1870-1876)--While transmitting with telegraph instruments, he realized it might be possible to transmit the human voice over a wire by using electricity. The first clearly transmitted sound was between Cambridge and Salem, Massachusetts, on November 26, 1876. Although the telegraph has become outdated, the telephone is still used in everyday life.

Many inventions seem to "shed light" on the modernizing world.

Light Bulb--Thomas Edison--(1879-1880)--In 1880, he designed the first version to have all the essential features of a modern light bulb, this included an incandescent filament in an evacuated glass bulb with a screw base. Although the outward appearance has changed throughout the years, the basic structure has remained the same.

Then, there were inventions that "stitched" the world together.

Sewing Machine--Isaac Merritt Singer--(1850-1853)--He improved the existing sewing machine and incorporated automatic feeding of the cloth, regulated tension on the needle thread, and lubricated needle thread so that leather could be sewn. Before this, clothes making was time consuming. This introduced a new way to mass produce clothing.

Transportation was the "driving" force in the Industrial Revolution.

Steam Engine--The original use for steam engines was to act as a power source for textile looms. Later, it would be used to power trains and ships. Without this baby you would be riding your bike everywhere.

Airplane--Wilbur and Orville Wright--The brothers became interested in flying while working in a bicycle-manufacturing shop. Wilbur made the longest flight going 852 feet in 59 seconds. One of the main reasons for their successful flight was their control system. Many improvements have been made over the years. Although this invention wasn't very practical at the time it was first made, it has become the quickest and most convenient mode of long- distance transportation.