Important Figure #3

My last, but not least, inventor is......

Richard Arkwright, inventor of the water frame.

Richard Arkwright! Arkwright was the inventor of the water frame, a spinning machine powered by water. His water frame spun a very course and strong thread, which had to be re-spun later to thing it out. It used water, as opposed to the spinners' arm, speeding the process of spinning up, and requiring less energy from the people spinning the thread. It had hundreds of spindles, and required specialized watermills. From his invention, the people during the Industrial Revolution gained access to cheaper cotton, and in turn, the invention of body linen for the poor (a.k.a underwear). Arkwright's water frame sped up the spinning process, and saved countless women's arms from the constant spinning that was required from a spinning jenny

Important Figure #2

Sticking with the inventor theme, my second important figure is......

Henry Cort!

Henry Cort!! Henry Cort was the developer of the puddling furnace, which refined pig iron. The puddlers, or the ironworkers who worked the puddling furnace, cooked the pig iron with coke, and then raked the impurities off of the top, leading to a more refined and stronger iron. Cort also was responsible for steam-powered rolling mills. Through his invention, iron became cheaper, stronger, and more available to the public. This iron was used all of Britain during its expansion from the Industrial Revolution, and thanks to Cort, it was easily obtained, cheaper, and a major factor in Britain's economy.

Important Figure #1

Because this chapter is all about the Industrial Revolution, I thought it was fitting to choose inventors from the era for my 3 Important Figures.
For my first important person I choose......

The man himself, James Watt.

James Watt!  We have all heard of a watt, but not many know about the unit's namesake, James Watt. James Watt was a young Scotsman who helped to create a MUCH more efficient steam engine in 1769. He took Thomas Newcomen's design, and help reduce the waste of energy. Within the next twenty years, Watt managed to improve the steam engine enough to help it become a practical form of travel that had spread throughout Great Britain. Without Watt, the steam engine would never had become a practical, efficient (and safe) mode of travel, and would have hindered the growth of the Industrial Revolution. The trains played a big part in spreading the goods, and transporting materials needed to keep up with demands. Trains also played a HUGE part in the mining industry, which further helped the Industrial Revolution along.