Eli Whitney Patented the Cotton Gin on March 14, 1794

In 1794, U.S.-born inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. By the mid-19th century, cotton had become America’s leading export. Despite its success, the gin made little money for Whitney due to patent-infringement issues. Also, …

Ben Franklin DID NOT Invent Daylight Savings Time!

Well, today we lose an hour of sleep to the interest of commerce. Don’t worry, you will get it back in November.  Before the middle of the 19th Century, keeping time was more of an art than a science.  Time pieces and clocks were available, even common in certain circles but they were notoriously inaccurate.  …

Ben Franklin DID NOT Invent Daylight Savings Time!

Well, today we say goodbye to Daylight Savings time for 2021.  I hope you all enjoyed your extra hour of sleep.  Before the middle of the 19th Century, keeping time was more of an art than a science.  Time pieces and clocks were available, even common in certain circles but they were notoriously inaccurate.  However, …

Supplying the Army with Muskets – The birth of Mass Production in America

 “A good musket is a complicated engine and difficult to make — difficult of execution because the conformation of most of its parts correspond with no regular geometrical figure.” – Eli Whitney We all know Eli Whitney for his invention of the Cotton Gin but it was his contribution to industrial engineering and the manufacture …