Monday, February 25, 2013

Necessity: The Mother of Invention

Let's take a step in a different direction.  The next set of chapters we'll be discussing deal with the growth and change of America.  After the War of 1812 we finally become recognized as a legitimate country.  Other world powers begin to notice we've defeated/stood up to the British Empire twice and survived.  Our population was growing and our land claims had doubled thanks to the Louisiana Purchase.  We had now entered into an exciting time of "What is America really going to be?" type questions.  One answer to that query is "Innovators".

Beginning around 1790, America slowly became one of the world leaders in new inventions and technological progress.  The early inventions may not seem very cool or exciting, but they greatly changed the lives of people who could afford them/who worked with them.

Notice the title of this week's blog: Necessity: The Mother of Invention.  I want you to watch this video and use the first 50 words of your comment to explain what that phrase means.

For the second half of your comments, do a web search and find an invention created in America between the years 1790-1865.  Describe the invention and how it changed lives.  Here's the catch-you cannot repeat an invention that someone in the class has already posted.  So it is to your benefit to be one of the first commenters this week!  It'd be cool if you posted a picture of your invention as your avatar this week.

23 comments:

  1. I thought the video was very cute! :) I think that mother necessity means that we needed these inventions to help our country grow. In the video it says mother necessity where would we be without these inventions. These inventions shaped our country. For example, if the cotton gin were never invented, we probably wouldn't have many clothes or other products that use cotton. The cotton gin was an invention in 1793. The cotton gin was a great help because the south started using cotton as a part of their big seller, so the cotton gin was created to help make hings easier. It would take the seeds out of the cotton.Thank you Eli Whitney!!

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  2. I remember in 6th grade writing a report on this exact phrase. It had something to do with Mesopotamia and Sumer… Anyways, I think the phrase means that you have to have a NEED for something before it is actually INVENTED. Without having a need for a new invention, why create something? Take for example the steamboat. There was a NEED for a strong boat to travel against the currents of the rivers, therefore the steamboat was invented. Inventions make things easier and more convenient, and they are created only after a need for the shortcut is identified. I thought the video was cute by the way:) {107}
    The steamboat was a powerful boat that could travel upstream. Many rivers ran North to South and a stronger more powerful boat was needed to go against the currents. Robert Fulton was the man that came up with the invention. His steamboat was called the Clermont. On its test run, it carried cargo and passengers up the Hudson River to Albany. It was much faster and carried more than previous boats. Also it was a lot more comfortable for passengers. The steamboat was a very important means of transportation in early America. {92}
    ~Hey_its_Mo!:)~
    PS My profile pic is a steamboat:)

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  3. I remember that video! We used to have the whole VHS of several videos relating to the USA. When I saw it this time though, I understood all the lyrics and their meanings. All the inventions helped shaped our country and paved the way for better inventions and improvements. Necessity: the mother of invention means that as the Americans needed more necessities such as a way to make sewing easier or create electricity inventions were made to help with these necessities such as the cotton gin or the lightbulb. A great example would be the refrigerator. It was first introduced in 1834 but no one bought them because it threatened the ice industry that was used for preserving perishable items at the time. People didn't want to use the refrigerator because there was a rumor that it poisoned food because it used ammonia gas. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that people began to use refrigerators and that choice wiped out the ice industry. Thank you Jacob Perkins for making the refridgerator which is used around the world to this day!(181)

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    1. BONUS INFO: The refrigerator was only used because the ice industry became contaminated by polution. If that didn't happen, we might still be using a big storage room full of ice instead of a refrigerator!

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  4. Well, I thought the video was cute and was a good and simple way to describe how we came up with inventions(:. Necessity means "the fact of being required or indispensable" (yes, I did look it up). I think this phrase means that as we realize we need things to make our everyday lives easier or more enjoyable, we come up with ideas to fulfill those needs, leading to all the inventions we have today. Like the video said, where would America be without the ideas and inventions that we have today?
    A famous invention was the telegraph. It was invented by Samuel Morse in the 1830s. This contraption used wires to send "pulses" which were translated into letters (Morse Code). Now all they had to do was use the telegraph to send messages which was waaay faster than someone personally delivering them. It also helped with urgent messages. What a huge difference this invention made as it was a great improvement in communication. (164)

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  5. This video helped me understand the phrase more than I used to. When I think of necessity I think of things that people can’t live without. As I was watching it things like the light bulb, car, and the sewing machine are still used today. It gave Americans less of a burden to do things, and it made people’s life more enjoyable to live. These inventions let people do things like sewing and communicating faster, and overall it made peoples life easier to live.
    One of these inventions that changed America for the better was the sewing machine. It was invented in 1846 by Elias Howe. By creating the sewing machine it increased the clothing industry. Before the sewing machine people would hand stitch everything which would take a long time. This helped them make more clothes in a shorter amount of time and improved their business.(147)

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  6. I really liked the video because it was an easy way to describe our need for the new inventions. I think necessity means that we needed some things to help us perform certain tasks, and the inventions that we now have make it a lot more simple to do things. We needed a way to make things easier, like things with cotton, sewing, and more. Inventions were very helpful.
    The lawnmower was invented by Edwin Beard Budding in 1830. He got the idea when he saw a machine in a local cloth mill that used a cutting cylinder mounted on a bench to cut cloth. He knew the same concept would work to cut grass if the mechanism was mounted on a wheeled frame to make the blades rotate close to the lawn. This made a huge impact because we use the lawnmower a lot now. (146)

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  7. I really thought this video explained the important inventions well. I mean, without these inventions America would definetly not be where we are today. These inventions are what made us so prosperous and different from other countries. These inventions were all things we need to live a comfortable life. Thats what necessities are. THis video explained how each invention helped in America during this time. (67)
    Joel Houghton invented the first dish washer in 1850. tHE WHEEL WAS BASICALLY TURNED BY HAND TO CLEAN THE DISHES. You would set the dishes in it, close it very carefully because it would most likely break easily, then you would forcefully turn the handle to splash water around in order to wash anything on the dishes off. THis machine was handy, and it also led to the automatic washer later on. Without it, the automatic washer would not have had anything to base it off of.(87) altogether- (154)

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  8. “The Mother of Inventions” was basically the mothers of the inventors. Except it was only one mother. The kids basically saw their mother struggling with something and said they wanted to make it easier for them. It seemed to me that the mother represented America and all the inventors wanted to help America. (And when the mother rushed the kids to work and stop playing it made me imagine America rushing the inventors to finish sooner.)
    The first locomotive was made on Feb. 13 1804. The machine was designed by Richard
    Trevithick. It was able to carry 15 tons and go 5 miles an hour.
    It made its first outing at the Pen-Y-Darren ironworks.
    (I tried to put a picture but it did not work.(128)


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  9. I Think this phrase means that for everything thing that was invented it all started with one thing. There was always a need for a certain invention before it was actually invented! Every invention improved an old way of doing things to improve efficiency or it was a new idea to help America. (53)
    Colt's revolver was one of the most important inventions in the 19th century. It had a revolving cylinder in the middle to be able to shoot 5 or 6 bullets in one reload. Before the revolver you had to reload after every shot. This new gun though had a innovative cocking system that allowed the shooter. (57)

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  10. To do the job at the best of your ability it may become necessary to build something new to make work faster and/or easier. If something isn’t going the way you want it to you may have to invent something to make it better. A good example that changed America for the better was the typewriter. If the typewriter was never invented we would all be writing letters and we would not have any of the hi-tech computers that we have today and maybe not any of the smart phones. Now I am really grateful for all the inventions that were made during that time period. (106)

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  11. I thought this video was really cute.:) I think that mother necessity means that we needed those inventions in the video and many more to help our country grow. When I think of the word necessity I think of things that people need and could not live without them. Like the light bulb and the sewing machine. Without these inventions, our lives could be so much harder. I am thankful for the people who created these things because without some of them, I would not know where I would be.:) (90)
    An invention that changed America was Cyrus McCormick’s reaper. He invented the mechanical reaper and the horse-drawn reaper. His mechanical reaper combined many of the steps involving harvesting crops. Like it increased crop fields, decreased the amount of people needed to harvest, and lowered the cost. His father tried to invent the reaper, but had failed. He also invented the horse-drawn reaper that used back and forth cutting blades and a device that had pushed the cut grain onto the back of the machine. He began to produce and sell the McCormick reaper. He later opened a factory in Chicago, Illinois. Without his invention, there would be more people in the fields harvesting and it would take so much more time to finish. He made a lot of people’s jobs easier.:) (132)

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  12. In my opinion I think that the phrase means that if we did not have any of those things we would be having a hard time. Like the telegraph, if we did not have it that would mean no cell phones. Teenagers would have to do something else! The telegraph was one of the mothers of all necessities. (58)
    The invention that I chose was the fire hydrant. This device was invented in the year 1801. It was invented by Frederick Graff Sr. This invention allowed fire fighters to connected fire hoses to the hydrant. It put out fires faster, safer, and with this product there were less critical fires.(51)

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  13. The video was a little corny. It had a good idea to it but the mothers could have looked different so that dumb people wouldn’t think all those great minds in history had the same mother. It displayed that every invention is important well. It was good for the time of history we are studying now. (56)
    The most important thing in the video for the farming industry was the cotton gin. The second most important thing for farmers was the steel tipped plow. It was made in 1837 by John Deere. I don’t know why it wasn’t included in the video because it helped almost as much as the cotton gin. It helped the farmers break up the tuff soil so that they could plant the seeds easier. (72)
    Overall 128 words

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  14. I must say I loved the video! All schoolhouse rocks make me understand more of the history of america. Of course, back when I was 5 I would only watch the one on locomotives THe video truly showed how each of the inventions helped america grow and how it effected not only one person, but the whole country.(58)
    The steel tipped plow was not mentioned in the video, but it was probably just as important than any of the inventions in the video. THe steel tipped plow was invented by John Deere. The plow was made of steel instead of the preceding wood plow's wood. The plow wasn't easily broken and it broke the soil up more easily that the preceding plows. The plow cut time plowing the fields from a few weeks to months, to a few days.(81)

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  15. Since apparently I must now do over my second part, I will...

    The kelvin scale was invented boy Lord Kelvin of Belfast, Ireland. The Kelvin scale was designed to measure temperature. In the kelvin scale, 0k means absolute zero. That is the temperature where everything is frozen, nothing can be moving. The size of 1 degree in the Kelvin scale is the same a 1 degree in Celsius. In fact, the Kelvin scale is basically the same a the celsius scale, except it is measured 273.16 degrees lower. (K=C+273.16)(77)

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  16. This video was very interesting, like always Mr. Haston you never fail to find a funny but educational video for us. I think the phrase “Necessities: the Mother of Invention” means that as our country (even world) has advanced we have created more. This meaning that when the need for something arises something is invented to compensate.
    [57]
    Walter Hunt was granted a patent for the safety pin on April 18, 1849. The safety pin was actually an accidental invention. Hunt was toying with a metal wire trying to see if he could invent something to get him out of a debt of fifteen dollars. He later sold his patent to the man he owed money to for four hundred dollars. His pin was coiled at the bottom and forced to close by a clasp at the top. He said that this would provide more safety for the user, hence the name safety pin.
    [96]

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  17. The vide shows a mother doing whatever she can to make life easier. This is the American way. When a problem comes along we don’t back down from it. we use our heads to come up with a solution to that problem. That is what the phrase means to the American people. (52)

    Samuel Colt developed the colt revolver. The gun is called a revolver because of its six rotating barrels. Before the colt revolver there were only one or two barreled flintlock pistols that had to be reloaded after each shot. The colt revolver was different because it could fire six shots in secession. This revolutionized the arms industry. (57)

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  18. Very interesting video, to say the least. I think that it’s obvious what it was about: a few of the amazingly helpful creations made in the 1800s. I believe that the phrase “Necessities: Mother of Invention,” makes a lot of sense. Basically, it means that the simple necessities of life are what caused people to have inspiration to make those necessary things a bit simpler. And I think that STILL what we’re trying to do today! Back then it was a printing press and making many copies of the same thing, instead of writing each word out one by one, over and over. Now, if you’re too lazy to even drive to the store and pick up just one of the millions of copies of a book or magazine, you can simply download it, and never even move an inch. What a change a couple years can do! I think that’s all humans are about nowadays: this is really easy to do, but let’s make it easier. (167)
    Many things that we have nowadays, we don’t even think twice about. But honestly, some of those things make a HUGE difference! In 1857, good ole Joseph Gayetty thought up the brilliant idea of thin, pre-moistened sheets that we like to refer to today as, you guessed it, toilet paper. I know what you’re thinking, “Ummm…Ew.” And I am too! But think about it, can you imagine not having something as simple as toilet paper? And even WEIRDER to think, “What did they use before that?!” I’m telling you, we NEED to be thankful, because without some of these simple things that we like to refer to as necessities… let’s just said it’d be a bit different.(117)

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  19. The quote means that just as a mother has children, that a need creates an idea for an invention. Inventions don't just pop into people's heads, they usually come from a need to either do something more efficiently, to do something for the person, or creates and industry all itself.
    An example of one invention would be dental floss, invented in 1815. It was first made of silk, while today we use plastic or nylon. Floss created an industry all its own. It wasn't a huge need, but did account for creating a better way to clean teeth. Before all you could do was brush your teeth and hope for the best. But I sure am glad they have it today or the oral hygiene industry would not be near as good as it is today. (136)

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  20. I think that it is saying that the mother is the people. All the inventors made something to benefit the mother. When the mother needed something an inventor would tell the mother that he will make it so that she would be okay. With these things, that the inventors made; they helped the country grow into a better one. (59)
    The doorbell was invented by Joseph Henry in 1831. Before it people used doorknockers or a bell to use to notify the owner that people were at the door. The doorbell changed lives because it made the house look a lot fancier and the “ding dong” sound was calmer than the other ways that were used before the doorbell. (60)

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  21. Even though its quite late I would still like to participate in last weeks blog.
    I think the phrase, phrase Necessity: Mother of Invention, means that each invention was made, was created to make life easier. To make the needs in life more accessible.Then the Mother of Invention will have children, or other inventors come along, who will make the old inventions better or even create something of their own. (56)
    The first patent for the Soda Fountain in the U.S. was in 1810. The patent was issued for a mass manufacture for the inventors, Simons and Rundell of Charleston, South Carolina. Now, I don’t about you, but, I don’t go at least one day without drinking my favorite soft drink or ‘soda water’. In America we have a soda fountain in each one of our fast food restaurants. It make it easy for people to get their drinks without the hassle. (81)

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