Which method of production was developed during the Second Industrial Revolution?

The First Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century and focused primarily on textile manufacturing and steam power.  During this time period inventors across Europe and the United States created devices and machines that mechanized production.  For example, the steam was a vitally important invention to the revolution because it lessened the need for manual labor.  The first steam engine was created by Thomas Newcomen in 1712.  Newcomen produced items for tin mine owners who often complained that they were struggling to deal with flooding in their mines. Traditional methods of removing water from the mines were slow, and hard work. Newcomen realized that he could help the tin mine owners. He developed a pump engine that used a piston in a cylinder; it was the first of its kind.  In the 1760’s, James Watt improved on and perfected the design first produced by Thomas Newcomen.  In 1764, Watt was given a Newcomen steam engine to repair. He started working on it and soon realized that it was inefficient. As a result, Watt wanted to improve the design. He was successful, and found a way to prevent steam from escaping from the engine by adding a separate condensing chamber. Watt patented his new steam engine design, and it paved the way for other mechanical design work.

James Watt

John Kay

Richard Arkwright

Textile manufacturing was benefitted from the effects of the First Industrial Revolution and there were several inventions that streamlined the manufacturing process.  In 1733, the clockmaker John Kay invented the flying shuttle, which replaced the handheld shuttle used in weaving. His invention sped up the weaving process and allowed for faster production such that weavers were outpacing spinners.  In 1764, James Hargreaves, a carpenter, developed a way to speed up spinning. He did this by attaching several spindles to a single spinning wheel. Using this spinning jenny, as it was called, a person could spin several threads at once.  In 1769, Richard Arkwright developed a spinning machine, called the water frame, that could hold up to 100 spindles and was capable of producing strong yarn. The machine replaced the need for manual labour and enabled the production of inexpensive spun cotton by the use of moving water from a creek or river. It was important at the time because cotton was used for clothing and other everyday items.  In 1793, the American Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin - a machine that automated and sped up the separation of cottonseed from the short-staple cotton fiber. The invention helped the British cotton industry because it increased the production of cotton and made it cheaper.  Samuel Slater is considered to be the “Father of the American Industrial Revolution” when he introduced British industrial techniques into American textile mills in the late 18th century.  Slater, who was born in England, arrived in the United States in 1789 and having memorized many of the techniques used in British factories, used his knowledge to develop similar production methods in the United States.  For example, he helped a fledgling textile mill in Rhode Island in 1793 with the operation of its spindle frame.  Soon, Slater’s designs were spreading across the east coast of the United States in numerous other textile operations.