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Title: The Age of Invention
A Chronicle of Mechanical Conquest, Book, 37 in The
Chronicles of America Series

Author: Holland Thompson

Posting Date: December 27, 2008 [EBook #2900]
Release Date: November, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AGE OF INVENTION ***

Produced by The James J. Kelly Library of St. Gregory's
University, Alev Akman, and Dianne Bean

THE AGE OF INVENTION,

A CHRONICLE OF MECHANICAL CONQUEST

By Holland Thompson

PREFATORY NOTE

This volume is not intended to be a complete record of inventive genius
and mechanical progress in the United States. A bare catalogue of
notable American inventions in the nineteenth century alone could not be
compressed into these pages. Nor is it any part of the purpose of
this book to trespass on the ground of the many mechanical works and
encyclopedias which give technical descriptions and explain in detail
the principle of every invention. All this book seeks to do is to
outline the personalities of some of the outstanding American inventors
and indicate the significance of their achievements.

Acknowledgments are due the Editor of the Series and to members of the
staff of the Yale University Press particularly, Miss Constance Lindsay
Skinner, Mr. Arthur Edwin Krows, and Miss Frances Hart--without whose
intelligent assistance the book could not have been completed in time to
take its place in the Series.

H. T.

COLLEGE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK,

May 10, 1921.

CONTENTS

I. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND HIS TIMES

II. ELI WHITNEY AND THE COTTON GIN

III. STEAM IN CAPTIVITY

IV. SPINDLE, LOOM, AND NEEDLE IN NEW ENGLAND

V. THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

VI. AGENTS OF COMMUNICATION

VII. THE STORY OF RUBBER

VIII. PIONEERS OF THE MACHINE SHOP

IX. THE FATHERS OF ELECTRICITY

X. THE CONQUEST OF THE AIR

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

THE AGE OF INVENTION

CHAPTER I. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND HIS TIMES

On Milk Street, in Boston, opposite the Old South Church