Technology In The 19th Century

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ver the long period of time that humans walked upon the face of the earth, there have been numerous technological innovations, some dating back to the Stone Age. Even though they did not have the kind of advanced technologies, we have today, the people of the eighteenth and nineteenth century invented great technologies that influenced their society and continue to have a profound impact on today’s technology. The eighteenth century was met with countless of new inventions, technical breakthroughs, and new innovations. The French Revolution drastically changed the scene in France. The steam locomotive and diesel engine were two of the technological innovations that revolutionized societies in the nineteenth century. Invented in England in 1814, …show more content…

Seeing how slow and inefficient the engine was, Stephenson designed a steam engine that gets rid of heat loss, warming and cooling pistons. The innovation of steam locomotive had great impacts in the then European societies. First amongst them are urbanization and industrialization. This invention created jobs, pulling the great masses from the most remote regions of England to move to urban centers like London. Steam locomotive provided quicker transportation and jobs which significantly change the business outlook in England. By 1861 2.4% and 49.4% of the population in London were used in manufacturing or transportation and agriculture respectively. Secondly steam locomotion brought about mass businesses, paving way for other inventions that changed the daily lives of many Europeans. However, this invention also had some negative effects on the European society. The invention of steam locomotive and railway saw the start of pollution caused by big businesses. Carbon dioxide was the primary source of pollution caused by the steam locomotive. Other negative effects of the steam locomotive technology were child labor. Child labor became very rampant during the industrial revolution. At the expense of school, Children work long hours without frequent breaks. Businesses started to employ children to work in factories because they are small and could reach into tiny holes, …show more content…

Rudolf Diesel was born in 1858 to Elise Diesel and her husband, Theodor .Early diesel engines were large and controlled at low speeds due to the restrictions of their compressed air-assisted fuel injection systems. His invention came while the steam engine was the predominant power source for heavy manufactures. The diesel engine is another invention that revolutionaries the nineteenth century. The invention predated its first viable application in railroad locomotives by more than a fourth of a century and attained widespread use several decades afterwards. Diesels work by converting chemical energy in diesel fuel into mechanical energy which is put to use by the locomotive. The energy in diesel is released following an uncontrolled explosion when it comes into contact with very hot, pressurized air. Diesel became famous and successful very quickly, as his engines went into production all around the

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