When: He built his first steel mill in 1872. However, his steel mill became the most modern and significant by the 1900s.

Where: Braddock, Pennsylvania

Why It Matters: A young man became one of the men who were considered to help build the economy of America.

When: January 10, 1870.

Where: Cleveland, Ohio.

Why It Matters: Rockefeller’s company was the first major oil company which allowed him to become one of the men who built the US economy.

When: The steamboat business began in 1829. He invested his money in railroads in 1861.

Where: Staten Island, New York.

Why It Matters: Vanderbilt helped improve the transportation of people and goods through using railroads and steamboats. This significantly improved the United State’s ability to efficiently travel over long distances.

When: Started to invest at the end of the Panic of 1893.

Where: New York.

Why It Matters: He organized many railroad companies which greatly impacted the United State’s economy and industry.

When: He invented the telephone in 1876.

Where: Brantford, Canada. The phone was produced in Boston.

Why It Matters: Significantly improved American’s ability to communicate over long distances.

When: The light bulb was invented in 1879.

Where: His light was created in his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

Why It Matters: This creation is still used today and changed American society for the better.

When: Began in 1903 with the creation of the Wright flyer.

Where: The plane took flight for the first time in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Why It Matters: This invention jump started the development of the global aviation industry.

When: He presented the first elevated in 1856.

Where: His idea was introduced at the Crystal Palace Convention in New York City.

Why It Matters: This invention is an example of how people can improve dangerous usage of materials into something more safe and convenient. Elish saw the danger of the hoist system and improved it by making the first elevator.

When: The camera was shown in the year 1888.

Where: It was created at the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company, in Rochester, New York.

Why It Matters: This invention is vital because it made the Kodak camera available for everyone. This way, historic moments could be documented for future occasions.

When: The typewriter was created in June 23, 1868.

Where: The first invention was made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Why It Matters: This invention, like the Kodak Camera, allowed historic events to be documented quickly through typing instead of writing. This made the spread of news occur faster. Furthermore, the layout of the typewriter is still used today and it improved the early working businesses.