People

• Benjamin Franklin
• John Winthrop 
• Robert Houghton
• Thomas Godfrey

Places

• Boston, Massachusetts
• Jamestown, Virginia
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Maryland 

Events

Resources

This book is some what limmited in the ammount of information that it provides regarding the worldly facts be it goes into great detail about the complex history of america.

The Timetables of Technology

This book gives a wonderfull rendition of what a time table should be. In addition to this it also gives accurate records of occurances throughout history. 

The Encyclopedia Of Colonial and Revolutionary America
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Technology in Early America
Colonial America to 1763
 

Updated 2/22/01

Technology

     Colonial America was embraced with a vivid technological revolution. The tools and mechanisms of this time period displays these changes. One of the major inventions during colonial america was the lightning rod . The lightning rod was significant in the means that it helped prevent destruction of property by lightning related fires. Benjamin Franklin is also credited for creating a mechanism that made the work of woman in colonial america less stressful, the Franklin stove. Franklin's invention of the stove has carried over into the 20th century with many advanced modifications. Thomas Godfrey a resident of Philadelphia devised a tool created for the sole purpose of calculating the angles of the sun and stars at sea. This mechanism, the octant was a very efficient navigational tool.
     The medical advancements during the colonial period could not have been made without the advent of modern tools and mechanisms of the industrial revolution. Some of those tools include the thermometer, and the dentists drill. the thermometer allowed doctors to check the temperature of patients this way they could calculate the precise temperature of the body and give their patients a more accurate diagnosis. The drill gave dentists the ability to remove the rotten or decaying teeth and replace them with false teeth much more effectively. Some of the most important advancements of medical technology occurred as a result of  the French and Indian war. The most important being the advent of anesthesia. Prior to anesthesia patients undergoing any surgery had to either get drunk or endure the pain. Another advancement in technology was the realization that germs do exist and a substantial amount of people are affected by the quality of food and water. Most importantly the lack of clean water which was used to clean medical tools and supplies. This lead to the realization that cleanliness had to be a priority in the medical field. Communication in the medical field allowed physicians to fight scurvy using citrus fruit. 
      Communications in Colonial America had come a long way since the days of hand written letters. The written word progressed into type when Johan Gutenberg invented the first movable type printing press. But communications in Colonial America had evolved far beyond the printing of certain books, such as the Bible, to printing newspapers and books for people to read for enjoyment. In 1609 the first newspaper was printed in Colonial America. It was called “Public Occurrences” and was printed in Boston, Massachusetts. The “Maryland Gazette” which was printed in 1727 followed this trend of printing material for people to read and enjoy. Not long after the “Maryland Gazette” was published, Benjamin Franklin published a book of his own called “Poor Richard's Almanac”. Another development during this time period was the introduction of the first successful type foundry machine in America. This allowed the typefaces to be produced in large quantities and with relatively few defects. The developments in communication were largely due to the recent advent of transportation technology. 
     In the early colonial years much of the transportation around towns and rural areas was done by foot, horse, or horse drawn carriages. Where as river travel was conducted by makeshift rafts and small boats. Later, as the population in colonial America grew, a demand for better travel was in order  A system of roadways were soon designed. Roads were soon widened and smoothened out or filled with loose gravel to provide travelers with a more comfortable ride. Road markers and town distances were notched out onto trees or placed on signs next to the roads. The progression of technology at sea was less astounding. Sea travel improved with the improvements of ship building. Lighter and faster ships were being built for faster and safer travel. But these lighter ships still had to rely on nature. In the early 1700's with the invention of the steam engine travel was completely revolutionized. On land the steam engine provided a crude means of transportation that was very efficient but dangerous. However the steam engine did play a bigger role on the water than it did on land. The steam engine led to river boats and barges which could transport people and goods much faster up and down rivers without being obligated to depend on nature. Few would argue that the steam engine was one of the best inventions to help colonial people travel more efficiently and safely.