New Technologies and Transportation

Transportation Revolution

Rapid improvement of speed and cost

Changed the way people traveled and shipped goods

Made possible by the steam engine

Robert Fulton

Created the 1st successful Steamboat

Called the “Clermont”

Peter Cooper

Built one of the first locomotives

Called “Tom Thumb”

Gibbons vs. Ogden

Gibbons wanted to run his boats between NY and NJ, Ogden sued because he had the rights to NY

It reached the Supreme Court where Gibbons won

Marshall’s ruling reinforced federal government authority over states

Communication by wire

Samuel Morse develops the telegraph

Sends signal through wire using Morse code

Trans continental line finished in 1861

Agricultural Improvements

Made farming possible in mid-west

Made farming faster

John Deere invents the steel plow which can slice through plains dirt

Cyrus McCormick

develops mechanical reaper

allows farmers to buy on credit

The Sewing Machine

Invented by Elias Howe

Isaac Singer - improved sewing machine which is simple to run

Women began earning money sewing at home