John Kay (1733)'s flying shuttle
First commercially successful (though kind of clumsy) steam engine, used to pump water out of coal mines. Big deal, since we've just unlocked a new power source.
Thomas Edison (1879)
Invented the incandescent lamp. Though he was, in general, prone to rude tendencies.
1858
First high explosive that could be safely handled. Useful for mining and clearing areas for infrastructure.
Robert Fulton (1807)'s Clermont
Marc Brunel's first underwater tunnel (1826-1842)
James Hargreaves (1765)'s spinning jenny
Joseph Monier (1849)
Reinforced Concrete
Richard Arkwright's water frame (1769)
Charles Babbage (1834)'s analytic engine
First ancestor of the computer
This separated the useful raw cotton from its seeds, making the cotton industry much more profitable. It had mixed effects — remember how a lot of cotton was farmed using slave labor.
William Murdock's cool thing he did (1792)
Lit his home using coal gas. Also, he was James Watt's assistant.
Karl Benz's internal-combustion automobile engine (1885)
Samuel F. B. Morse's telegraph and Morse Code (1837)
This would allow for long-distance communication
From Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Henry Bessemir's steel converter (1854)
Revolutionized the production of steel
Alexander Graham Bell's telephone (1876)
Made communicating across long distances much easier, but such conversations still had to be done in public, etc.,
Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830)
Gugliemo Marconi (1896)'s wireless telegraph patent
Cathode rays discovered
First steam-powered mill (1779)
Crompton's "mule" + Spinning jenny and water frame fully automated weaving process. Yeah.
First skyscraper (10 stories tall) (in Chicago)
Robert Trevithick (1801)'s steam locomotive demonstration
George Stephenson's Rocket, 1829, would lead to great railroad infrastructure, which helped with city planning, made moving to the city easier, and made trade and large-scale commerce much better. For example, now placing factories in population centers made more sense. (I barely understand why myself, but okay)
James Brindley (1761)'s Bridgewater Canal
Allowed for barges to carry coal from Worsely to Manchester
James Watt's efficient steam engine (1765)
Gasoline refinement
Mass slaughter is now possible, begins mechanization of warfare. Unfortunately, as some predicted, his machine gun did not prevent war — people still fought, despite these monsters being on the battlefield.
Singer's first practical sewing machine (1851)
Allowed for more sewing, including at-home
Thomas Alva Edison's phonograph (1877)
