A Flood of Inventions Mr. Davis

Advanced Communication: During the Gilded Age new devices filled the need for faster communication The telegraph had been in use since 1844 It helped people all around the nation stay in contact. But is also helped business For example: A steelmaker in Pittsburg could instantly place an order in Minnesota

Transatlantic Cable: Even though the telegraph could speed communication throughout the U.S. it could take weeks to receive any type of news in Europe because they had to travel by boat. In 1866, Cyrus Field ran an underwater telegraph cable across the Atlantic. This cable line brought the U.S. and Europe closer together.

The Telephone: During this time, Morse code was used to communicate as well. It was a dot system. Alexander Graham Bell, a Scottish teacher of the deaf was trying to transmit sound instead.

In March 1876, Bell was ready to test his “talking machine” Bell accidently spilt battery acid on himself, but his secretary could hear him, and the invention worked! Most people saw the invention as a toy however and not a need in life. Because of how unsuccessful it was, Bell tried to sell the invention to the Western Union Telegraph- but they refused-making the biggest mistake ever. The company would end up making millions of dollars.

In 1877 the Bell Telegraph Company was created and by 1885 he sold more than 300,000 phones This made ordering supplies 10x easier!

Thomas Edison: In 1876, Edison opened a research lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey. His goal was to create a “minor” invention every 10 days and a “big thing every 6 months”.

The Invention Factory: Edison turned inventing into a system of inventors. A team of experts would refine Edison’s ideas and made them practical inventions. Edison became known as the “the wizard of Menlo Park” for inventing the light bulb, phonograph and hundreds of other devices. One of his most famous inventions besides the telegraph was the machine for showing motion pictures By 1905 the silent films were projected throughout the U.S.

Electric power: One of the most important creations was the electric power plant. Edison built the first electric power plant in NYC in 1882 Within a year the power plants were giving power to thousands of homes and businesses. The old steam power engines were now being replaced with a safer and quieter electric engine.

A Rush of Technology: During this time everyday seemed like a new invention was being created. The U.S. became known as the land of inventions.

Inventions by African Americans: African Americans also contributed during the invention era. Elijah McCoy created a devices that oiled engines automatically. John Matzeliger invented a machine that could perform almost all the steps in shoemaking.

Refrigeration In the 1880’s Gustavus Swift came up with an idea that would change America He created the refrigeration system so that companies could ship meat easier and households could store meat for longer periods of time

Picture Perfect: George Eastman created the lightweight Kodak camera in 1888 It only cost $25 for the camera and film!

Automobile No single person had created the automobile. Many Europeans began the project of creating an automobile, and American’s picked up on it and created their own.

Ford had introduced the assembly line which: Made it easier for production (much faster) Allowed for mass production Overall the new automobile allowed for more freedom.

Up, Up, and only 12 Seconds: During the same time as the automobile, two bicycle mechanic brothers, Orville and Wilber Wright, were trying to create a new form of transportation, flying! They tested their flying machine on Dec. 17 1903 It only stayed in the air for 12 seconds Many saw little use for flying at the time.