From the 1850's to 1900 there have been many milestones in America's improvement in culture. In 1851 the Flying Cloud navigated from New York to San Fransisco in 89 days breaking the record. The first sewing machine for household use was made and patented in Boston, Massachusetts also. The first railroad bridge over the Mississippi was opened on April 21, 1856. In 1860 Oliver F. Winchester started work on the first repeating rifle which would be heavily used in the American West and Civil War. In 1861 the first telegram was sent by wire from California to the nations capital on the other side of the country. This made the pony express insignificant. Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act starting the transcontinental railroad in 1862. In 1866 there were 75,000 miles of telegraph wire laid by the Western Union Company. In 1868 the first ice box was patented by William Davis to transport fish. 1869 the transcontinental railroad was finished. In 1876 Mark Twain received his patent for the first telephone. The first steel structured skyscraper was built in 1884 in Chicago. In Boston the first subway was built in 1897. All of these events have one aspect in common; they all are accomplished with intent to improve and simplify the everyday lives of people. I have found that there are a few key subgroups of technological achievements that almost all the events can fit under. There is transportation, which includes railroads, cars, subways, boats, and planes. Then there is communication. This group would include the telegraph, pony express, the radio, television, and the telephone. Then there is the accomplishments in science which protect the citizens. For example this would include the atomic bomb, first repeating gun, and first bulletproof vest. Lastly, the remaining technological achievements can be summarized as household/everyday life improvements. The sewing machine, washing machine, ice box, refrigerator, television, and light bulbs are just a few examples of this group. Almost all of the technological achievements and inventions can be assigned a group. This is extremely helpful in further research to help narrow down what type of research I should do next. Since I just did a lot of everyday improvements, and I research the atomic bomb which goes under the protection of citizens group, therefore I should probably research transportation via cars and planes.
"A Growing Nation, 1850-1900." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. .
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