Talking Technology

This article gave a sense about how technology was first created and all the benefits to these many devices. It focused on how technology improved communication throughout the country. It began in 1775 when Benjamin Franklin served as the first postmaster general. The U.S Postal Service was established which began with only 75 post offices and 1,800 miles of route throughout the country. When Samuel Morse invented the telegraph in 1844, where citizens could receive messages in weeks and hours, and even minutes for important notices. This benefited many, but especially the railroads, stock markets, and newspapers. On a personal note, I find the introduction of photography one of the most exciting inventions of the 19th century. I believe photography is very interesting because every photograph means something else to the viewer. The photographer may have had a specific idea in mind of what they wanted to viewer to see but what the viewer gets from the photograph depends on who they are. In Americas history, the invention of the camera served as way to provide visual information throughout the country. News could be shared with the public, family portraits could be taken, and in the field of science "it offered a way to document experiments, observed astronomical events, and analyze subjects undergoing rapid movements." There were numerous other benefits that came about when George Eastman founded the first Kodak camera in 1888. Something that often goes unnoticed about the devices that aid in communication, is that they have been mainly positive, with very little pollution for the most part. I believe it is essential to keep in mind the environment as the world progresses in the science field. The inventions must be beneficial to the user but at the same time, be environmentally friendly. New inventions have most definitely helped to improve the lifestyles of many individuals in the United States. However, with all this advancement the environment is suffering and I feel that it is our duty to find some type of balance before moving any more forward.

Davis, Keith F. "Communication Revolution of the 19th Century." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31. Jan. 2010.

So Much Science

Science has been a major component in America's uprising. This article highlighted the main scientific events that have shaped our nation's past. It began with 18th century by noting Benjamin Franklin's experiments with electricity. Then in the 19th century, numerous inventors aided in America's overall progression. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1773, then in 1831 Cyrus McCormick created the reaper and six years later John Deere made the steel plow. These men worked off of each others ideas to establish the most successful product to use on the farms throughout America. There were other significant inventions such as Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, Elias Howe's sewing machine, and Samuel Morse's telegraph which improved Americans everyday lives. Due to these single inventions, practically one hundred years later scientists were able to start working towards creating the atomic bomb. During World War II, as a result of the Manhattan Project, the first atomic bomb helped to end the war. The government funded for the project and continued funding scientific research for the Cold War a few years later. This interesting war was different than anything America had seen before. The United States fought with Russia basically scientifically as they tried to advance in both the arms race and space race. I am very intrigued by this kind of war because it was entirely non-violent. Both countries used all the brain power they had to improve their nuclear weapons and be the first to discover the mysteries of space. This war was beneficial because its competitiveness helped the world to advance. Other great advances were those in the medicine field. Scientific research helped to make essential advancements in cancer and AIDS treatment. What I find most amazing is the Human Genome Project which was done only a few years ago. This research "decoded chemically the entire human genetic code." In 2003, the researchers reveled the first human sequence which was both admired and questioned. The morality of all this scientific research remains an issue to many today. New advancements such as stem cell research, genetic testing, and cloning trouble many individuals. They believe that the government should not be funding so much money to these projects because of this morality question. I find this topic very interesting and would enjoy further researching it.

Daniels, George H. "Science in America." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010.

Important Inventions

This article was an overview about the inventions that helped to shape America. There are many important individuals that today are given credit for these creations. Their inventions helped in America's overall progression. The Bessemer Process revolutionized the steel making process. Steel soon replaced iron on the railroads which ran all throughout the nation. When Thomas Edison created the first electrical power plant, electricity was accessible all throughout New York City. His work helped to altogether improve the workplace. When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, not only did it benefit the workplace but it helped to improve domestic life as well. Individuals could communicate with others all over the nation. They could share ideas, get help in emergency situations, and more. With all these improvements America was becoming more and more successful. However, with all this advancement there was a down side. Cities were becoming extremely polluted and populated. There was no way out because everyone wanted to be there. It offered a new life and the true "American Dream." Never before had these citizens seen such success with this sort of lifestyle. It is evident that after experiencing the Civil War first hand, American citizens would want change. All the craziness was over and the new inventions served as almost a way to erase the horrid past out of their minds. They helped the citizens to move forward and look onward to a bright future.

"Invention." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2010.

The United States' Start

This article was an overview as to how the nation migrated from the countryside to the cities and became reliant on technology. During the rise of America, citizens who migrated to the United States stayed away from the cities. The article states that less than one million individuals lived in the cities in 1790, but fifty years later more than eleven million chose to reside there. The move can mainly be related to the no longer demand for farm laborers out in the countryside. All kinds of machines were taking over the work that slaves had been doing for years. Iron plows replaced the sickle which would take on average one day to cut a half acre of wheat. Now the new iron plows could cut ten times the amount of wheat in one day as the sickle could. Railroads and canals also replaced covered wagons and stagecoaches which would work far more efficiently and quickly. They could bring goods to the cities in half the time which was highly needed with all the work now being done in the cities. In the factories, advances in science allowed all sorts of machinery to be created which made companies overall more successful. America was progressing because of all the new technology that had been invented. It seems that the demand for slaves died out over time due to the new inventions that took away the need for human work. I wonder what slaves job would be if Lincoln never wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. All the work that their masters had them do in the field had been replaced by the machines that could do the work in half the time. This is definitely one of the positive affects of technology because America has progressed without the need of the institution of slavery helping its economy in any way.

"Industrializing America." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2010.

Science and Technology

The topic of science and technology interests me because the world would be impossible without all the advancements that have been made in this field. Our lives have become so dependent on cell phones, Ipods, computers and T.Vs, but we never take the time to think where all this came from. I think researching this topic would give me a sense of why we are where we are today. One hundred years ago an Ipod meant nothing to Americans. Now, it has become the center of many Americans lives. Not only do I want to find out how Ipods and all this kind of technology was created, but I want to learn what Americans from the 19th century's "Ipod" was. The United States has become a country of progression. We have gone from telegraphs to cellular telephones thanks to all the technological advances the science field has made. It would be intriguing to also discover how science and technology impacts other topics in history. For examples, I read the other day that when Thomas Edison created the first power plant, factories across the town were able to have electricity which in turn helped to overall improve the workplace. When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, communication improved all throughout the country. Due to this, people were living longer because they could get quick help when emergencies struck. Science and Technology offers many positive outcomes but it can also offer negative outcomes which are evident nowadays. Technology has taken over many lives in the sense that people have become so reliant on it. Without technology, I am not sure how successful America would be. We could not even being doing this project today.