Technology

Marc Hedlund
U.S. History
2nd Hour

Between 1780 and 1860, there were many technological advances.   There were many inventions that improved industries.   Some inventions improved businesses and others impacted American agriculture.   Many inventions help to improve the economy.
In the years between 1780 and 1860, there were several inventions that impacted businesses in America.   One invention that helped with business was canals.   They helped with transportation of products and goods by connecting different parts of the country.   The Erie Canal was completed in 1825 and connected Lake Erie and the Hudson River.   It had 83 separate locks and spanned over 363 miles.   It was such a success that it caused several more canals to be built.
Another major invention for businesses was the steamboat.   The idea of steamboats was first thought of by John Fitch and James Rumsey.   They both filed for a patent on steamboats in the late 1780’s.   Steamboats allowed for transportation of people along with goods.   It also improved agriculture by allowing farmers to transport their products.   These boats were perfect for traveling up and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The number of steamboats on these rivers went from 17 to 727 boats between 1817 and 1855.
Somewhere between 1820 and 1830, many inventors started using steamboat technology on engines that could travel on land.    The earliest idea came in 1813 from Oliver Evans.   However, the railroads were poorly planned out.   There were hundreds of rival companies that were using different gauge track for their trains, requiring cargo to be shipped through many different companies, instead of being shipped directly between cities.   As a result, the Transcontinental Railroad was created to help standardize the rail system.   The development of the railroad allowed larger-sized goods to be shipped at a much lower cost.
Another major invention was the telegraph.    Between 1837 and 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse and Alfred...