History of Technology

ABOUT THE 19th CENTURY

The 19th century was an era of invention and discovery

The invention of useable electricity, steel, and petroleum products during the 19th century lead to the growth of railways, steam ships, faster and wider means of communication and inventions with names we all know today (Think quest).

The 19th century was an era of invention and discovery, with significant developments in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, electricity, and metallurgy that lay the groundwork for the technological advances of the 20th century (Lamvert.T).

However the 19^th century was still an era which was filled with poverty we know more about poverty in the 19th century than in previous ages because, for the first time, people did accurate surveys and they made detailed descriptions of the lives of the poor (local histories). We also have photographs and they tell a harrowing story.

MAJOR HISTORICAL EVENTS

• The eruption of the volcano at Krakatoa

 IMPORTANT & INFLUENCIAL PEOPLE  OF THE 19th CENTURY

1. Thomas Edison
2. Samuel Morey
3. Charles Robert Darwin
4. Ned Kelly

 (Skwirk)

MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

• François Appert develops food canning
• Accordian invented
• Saxaphone invented
• Solymon Merrick patents the wrench
• Charles Babbage invents a mechanical calculator.
• Samual Morse invents Morse Code
• American, Elias Howe invents a sewing machine
• Alfred Nobel invents dynamite
• Jean Lenoir invents an internal combustion engine

(About.com)

Click here for references 

FOOD INDUSTRY IN THE 19th CENTURY

In the late 19th century the first convenience foods in tins and jars went on sale. Although the principle of canning was invented at the end of the 18th century tinned food first became widely available in the 1880s. Furthermore in the 1870s margarine, a cheap substitute for butter, was invented. Tomato ketchup was invented in 1874.

Several new biscuits were invented in the 19th century including the Garibaldi (1861), the cream cracker (1885) and the Digestive (1892). Furthermore new sweets were invented during the 19th century including peanut brittle (1890) and liquorice allsorts (1899).

For centuries people drank chocolate but the first chocolate bar was made in 1847. Milk chocolate was invented in 1875 (Jackson.L ).

 IMPORTANT ABORIGINAL HISTORY OF THE 19th CENTURY

The Stolen Generations (Reconcilliation)were those children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were forcibly removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments. The removals occurred in the period between approximately 1869 and 1969 although, in some places, children were still being taken in the 1970s.

Children were taken from Aboriginal parents so they could be brought up ‘white’ and taught to reject their Aboriginality. Children were placed with institutions and from the 1950s began also being placed with white families. Aboriginal children were expected to become labourers or servants, so in general the education they were provided was very poor. Aboriginal girls in particular were sent to homes established by the Board to be trained in domestic service (Skwirk).

The lack of understanding and respect for Aboriginal people also meant that many people who supported the child removals believed that they were doing the ‘right thing’. Some people believed that Aboriginal people lived poor and unrewarding lives, and that institutions would provide a positive environment in which Aboriginal people could better themselves.

For more information on The Stolen Generation Click Here