Notable American Inventors of the Industrial Revolution

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The Industrial Revolution that occurred in the 19th century was of great importance to the economic development of the United States. Industrialization in America involved three important developments. First, transportation was expanded. Second, electricity was effectively harnessed. Third, improvements were made to industrial processes. Many of these improvements were made possible by American inventors. Here is a look at ten of the most significant American inventors during the 19th century.

01of 10

Thomas Edison

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Thomas Edison and his workshop patented 1,093 inventions. Included in this were the phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, and the motion picture. He was the most famous inventor of his time and his inventions had a huge impact on America's growth and history.

02of 10

Samuel F. B. Morse

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Samuel Morse invented the telegraph which greatly increased the ability of information to move from one location to another. Along with the creation of the telegraph, he invented morse code which is still learned and used today.

03of 10

Alexander Graham Bell

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Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. This invention allowed communication to extend to individuals. Before the telephone, businesses relied on the telegraph for most communications.

04of 10

Elias Howe/Isaac Singer

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Elias Howe and Isaac Singer both were involved in the invention of the sewing machine. This revolutionized the garment industry and made the Singer corporation one of the first modern industries.

05of 10

Cyrus McCormick

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Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical reaper which made the harvesting of grain more efficient and faster. This helped farmers have more time to devote to other chores.

06of 10

George Eastman

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George Eastman invented the Kodak camera. This inexpensive box camera allowed individuals to take black and white pictures to preserve their memories and historical events.

07of 10

Charles Goodyear

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Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber. This technique allowed rubber to have many more uses due to its ability to stand up to bad weather. Interestingly, many believe the technique was found by mistake. Rubber became important in industry as it could withstand large amounts of pressure.

08of 10

Nikola Tesla

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Nikola Tesla invented many important items including fluorescent lighting and the alternating current (AC) electrical power system. He also is credited with inventing the radio. The Tesla Coil is used in many items today including the modern radio and television.

09of 10

George Westinghouse

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George Westinghouse held the patent to many important inventions. Two of his most important inventions were the transformer, which allowed electricity to be sent over long distances, and the air brake. The latter invention allowed conductors to have the ability to stop a train. Prior to the invention, each car had its own brakeman who manually put on the brakes for that car.

10of 10

Dr. Richard Gatling

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Dr. Richard Gatling invented a rudimentary machine gun that was used to a limited degree by the Union in the Civil War but was later used extensively in the Spanish-American War.