Technology During The Industrial Revolution

Technology refers to the machines and inventions the human race has created to make life and labor an easier task to perform. Ever since man has lived, they’ve had to find food to feed themselves, make clothes to cover their bodies, and find shelter to keep them safe and dry. Today, in the age of technology, we have every type of trinket and doodad you can think. Technology has come a long way, and impacted the United States in ways both beneficial and harmful.

Before technology, the world was simple and quiet; we didn’t have all these complex machines and inventions to make our jobs easier. In the beginning of the 1700s, man and animals were the only things doing the work on a farm. There weren’t things like tractors and combines to help

The birth of the Industrial Revolution is linked to some innovations, such as textiles, or cloth items. Before the Industrial Revolution, many workers were needed to spin enough thread to make a single weaver. In 1769, Richard Arkwright invented a spinning machine called the water frame. This machine could spin dozens of cotton threads at one time. This not only increased the speed of textile production, but lowered the cost of cotton cloth. The main source of power for the water frame was flowing water. This invention was the first important breakthrough of the Industrial Revolution. Another key innovation to the Industrial Revolution was steam power. During the early 19th century, steam power slowly replaced water power. It was used for steam boats and steam-powered trains. Another society building invention was developed, the telegraph. In 1832, Samuel F.B. Morse perfected this. The telegraph was a device that could send information over wires across long distances. This invention helped connect the United States by enabling people to communicate from far distances. The telegraph sent surges of electric current through a wire. At the other end of the wire, these surges were changed into clicking sounds. Alfred Lewis and Samuel Morse developed a system known as Morse code, different combinations of dots and dashes that represent each letter of the alphabet.

Refineries that turn crude oil into vehicle fuel add to pollution and use even more energy. There are alternative fuels, such as electricity. But these vehicles powered by electricity also have an environmental impact. Large amounts of electricity to charge all-electric cars originate from coal-burning power plants. This produces harmful carbon emissions, and also uses a nonrenewable fuel source to make electricity. A car’s emission is the most direct contribution to pollution. Engines that burn gasoline emit harmful gases. These gases include carbon dioxide, which builds up in the air and adds to global warming. Also, cars may leak fluids which can enter water systems. Lastly, cars harm the environment when they can no longer be used. Some materials cars are made of are highly recyclable, but most of an unusable car’s mass winds up in a junkyard. Another contribution to pollution is landfills. A landfill is a location designed for the systematic storage of waste, and the waste is buried using soil. Most things we use daily become useless and wind up in a landfill. Experiments show that gases and chemicals released from landfills can cause harm to humans and animals. Landfills can contribute to global warming as well. Earth’s natural resources are being depleted very quickly. The world’s environmental depletion rate now exceeds the planet’s capacity to regenerate by 30%. James Leape, Director-General of WWF International said “If our demands on the planet continue