Explore the early world of elevator technology. You will find out that there were actually two people with the name of Otis involved in the invention of the elevator: Elisha Otis and Otis Tufts. The practical technology won out. Click on...

Read a biography of George Eastman and find out how his inventions and innovations revolutionized photography.

This resource presents a long list of important inventions during the First Industrial Revolutions, organized consecutively from 1701-1839. Includes short descriptions and images. This is followed by a table listing inventions from the...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Article considers the inventions and innovations in communication, transportation, and manufacturing that drove America forward in the nineteenth century. Includes a link to an interactive history of...

The Industrial Age has also been called the Age of Edison. Edison patented more than 1000 inventions and gave rise to three industries: electric utilities, phonograph and record companies, and the film industry. This lesson will help...

Find brief descriptions of the inventions of many African-American inventors in many fields in the 19th century.

Students are challenged to a five-question quiz about when certain objects are invented.

Read about Eli Whitney's cotton gin and its importance to the cotton industry.

Use this site to learn more about early inventors and inventions from the 18th century. This web page offers text and images on various inventors and their inventions. You can also access information about inventors and inventions from...

Charlotte Cramer Sachs held the patents on many inventions. She invented quick baking products such as Joy muffin mixes, as well as accessories for dogs and musical games. One invention was a precursor to the retractable dog leash. A...

Joseph B. Friedman invented the bendable straw, which he patented in 1937. Read about his life here and the history of this famous invention.

Charles F. Brannock's most famous invention was the Brannock Device. It is used worldwide today for measuring feet in order to determine proper shoe size. Original drawings for it can be viewed here, along with a biographical profile of...

Smithsonian site features the life and many accomplishments of Lewis Latimer, the famous African-American inventor.

A number of worksheets and lessons on inventors and inventing are available here to non-subscribers. There are also many links to other sites with additional materials, including to biographies of well known inventors.

A number of worksheets and lessons on inventors and inventing are available here to non-subscribers. There are also many links to other sites with additional materials, including to biographies of well known inventors.

Six categories of inventions highlight the inventors in those categories and describe their sometimes world-changing inventions. Other inventions are not so critical, but nonetheless fascinating.

A brief biography of Elijah McCoy and a description of one of his inventions that made factory machinery run smoothly.

A long list of famous inventors with some biographical information and descriptions of their inventions.

Just for fun. A website with a list of strange inventions by would-be entrepreneurs. Click on any to see a picture and description of the device.

This site provides a biography of James T. Russell, inventor of the compact disk, and the basic ideas behind the technology.

A learning module that begins with "Teenage Inventor Alexis Lewis Thinks That Kids Have the Solutions" by Megan Gambino, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as...

Children's imaginations are infinite - so could they help draw up the ambitious projects that we need to fight the world's challenges? A group was asked to design inventions to make society a better place. Here's how they responded.

Through a number of articles, stories and research we learn about the invention process, including communicating your ideas, staying resilient when things go wrong.

This site provides a biographical sketch of Alexander Graham Bell and his inventions. Find out about Bell's patents in addition to the telephone.