Science In The Industrial Revolution Essays - Industrial Revolution

Science in the Industrial Revolution Science in the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century probably did more to shape life in the modern industrialized world than any event in history. There were many events that led to the industrial revolution in Europe. For starters, people in general were becoming more and more disenchanted with corruption in the Church. Due to advances in printing more people were learning to read. This allowed them to read the Bible for themselves and begin to question the Church. Protestant religions began to develop in which it was permissible to make money rather than donate it all to charity. This change in thought gave people the opportunity to question nature and retain their spirituality and place with God. The focus of this discussion is not the role of the decline in the Church in the Industrial Revolution but the importance of science. However it is important to realize that this change in belief systems played a role in allowing people to study science. Science provided a way for intellectual people to study nature and the interactions of the different forces, such as magnetism and gravity, that affect the world in which we live. Discoveries made through science can later be used to help man in his everyday life. Even today scientists study natural phenomena in the hope of discovering something new that will prove useful to man. In the early days of science many of the studies were done to prove or disprove the teachings of the Church which included having the Earth as the center of the universe and the idea of creationism. An excellent example of how science helped lead to the Industrial Revolution can be seen in development of the steam engine. For our purposes here we will assume the development of the steam engine started with Galileo in the 17th century. Galileo introduced a theory of atoms. Although he never actually said the word "atom" he described it in great detail. The Church did not support the atom theory, as they believed it went against the teaching of the Bible. The Church preferred the idea that "empty" space was just that, empty, not filled with tiny particles called atoms. The reason Galileo never uttered the word "atom" was to avoid the wrath of the Church. He ended up being placed on house arrest during the Inquisition, but that is another story. Galileo's theory created a lot of excitement and led to many experiments. The excitement was not so much because of Galileo's theory, but because of the implications of this theory. If Galileo was proved correct, the teachings of the Church were wrong. In today's world this may not seem like a big deal, but remember that in Galileo's time the Church ran society in many ways. The first major development influenced by Galileo's theory was the barometer developed by Torricelli. Torricelli was a pupil of Galileo before he was home jailed. The barometer was not developed to measure atmospheric pressure as it is used for today. It was merely an attempt to prove Galileo's atomic theory. The barometer worked by demonstrating a partial vacuum caused by a pressure differential between a closed end and on open end of a tube containing mercury. The details will not be discussed here. The end result was that the barometer worked, thus proving Galileo right and the Church wrong. The success of the barometer led to the development of primitive air pumps. A type of "reverse bellows" was the first air pump. Inspired by these developments Denis Papin, a Protestant physician, developed the first practical steam engine. His steam engine was developed in 1690. This primitive engine heated water in a cylinder, which turned to steam. The pressure from this steam forced the piston upward once it was high enough to counteract the weight and atmospheric pressure on the cylinder. The engine was then removed from the heat source and atmospheric pressure forced the piston back down as the steam condensed and the pressure within dropped. In 1698 Thomas Savery improved on the same basic idea. He used the steam engine to pump water out of mines. This was one of the first applications of technology to industry. Thomas's engine did not contain a piston but used the partial vacuum created by the engine to suck the water up and out of the mine. Newcomen took the steam engine a step further in 1712. His engine did include a piston but he used a counterweight to extract it. The cylinder was then injected with steam. This was followed by injecting water into the

W. E. B. Du BoisThe Souls of Black Folk(1903) Essays - Free Essays

W. E. B. Du Bois'The Souls of Black Folk(1903) Essays - Free Essays W. E. B. Du Bois'The Souls of Black Folk(1903) is a seminal work in African American literature and an American classic. In this work Du Bois proposes that "the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line." His concepts of life behind the veil of race and the resulting "double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others," have become touchstones for thinking about race in America. In addition to these enduring concepts,Soulsoffers an assessment of the progress of the race, the obstacles to that progress, and the possibilities for future progress as the nation entered the twentieth century. Du Bois examines the years immediately following the Civil War and, in particular, the Freedmen's Bureau's role in Reconstruction. The Bureau's failures were due not only to southern opposition and "national neglect," but also to mismanagement and courts that were biased "in favor of black litigants." The Bureau did have successes as we ll, and its most important contribution to progress was the founding of African American schools. Since the end of Reconstruction in 1876, Du Bois claims that the most significant event in African American history has been the rise of the educator, Booker T. Washington, to the role of spokesman for the race. Du Bois argues that Washington's approach to race relations is counterproductive to the long-term progress of the race. Washington's acceptance of segregation and his emphasis on material progress represent an "old attitude of adjustment and submission." Du Bois asserts that this policy has damaged African Americans by contributing to the loss of the vote, the loss of civil status, and the loss of aid for institutions of higher education. Du Bois insists that "the right to vote," "civic equality," and "the education of youth according to ability" are essential for African American progress. Du Bois relates his experiences as a schoolteacher in rural Tennessee, and then he turns his attention to a critique of American materialism in the rising city of Atlanta where the single-minded attention to gaining wealth threatens to replace all other considerations. In terms of education, African Americans should not be taught merely to earn money. Rather, Du Bois argues there should be a balance between the "standards of lower training" and the "standards of human culture and lofty ideals of life." In effect, the African American college should train the "Talented Tenth" who can in turn contribute to lower education and also act as liaisons in improving race relations. Du Bois returns to an examination of rural African American life with a presentation of Dougherty County, Georgia as representative of life in the southern Black Belt. He presents the history and current conditions of the county. Cotton is still the life-blood of the Black Belt economy, and few African Americans are enjoying any economic success. Du Bois describes the legal system and tenant farming system as only slightly removed from slavery. He also examines African American religion from its origins in African society, through its development in slavery, to the formation of the Baptist and Methodist churches. He argues that "the study of Negro religion is not only a vital part of the history of the Negro in America, but no uninteresting part of American history." He goes on to examine the impact of slavery on morality. In the last chapters of his book, Du Bois concentrates on how racial prejudice impacts individuals. He mourns the loss of his baby son, but he wonders if his son is not better off dead than growing up in a world dominated by the color-line. Du Bois relates the story of Alexander Crummel, who struggled against prejudice in his attempts to become an Episcopal priest. In "Of the Coming of John," Du Bois presents the story of a young black man who attains an education. John's new knowledge, however, places him at odds with a southern community, and he is destroyed by racism. Finally, Du Bois concludes his book with an essay on African American spirituals. These songs have developed from their African origins into powerful expressions of the sorrow, pain, and exile that characterize the African American experience. For Du Bois, these songs exist "not simply as the sole American music,