INVENTIONS OF THE YEAR

Recently, people have been paving the road for innovation through their brilliant inventions that are sure to make a difference in the world. However, three very important inventions stand out as the "Inventions of the Year" in the 1839 edition of this newspaper. William Otis was born on September 20, 1813 in Pelham, Massachusetts. He received a patent for the steam shovel in February. This invention will aid in the moving of rocks, soil, and debris. This will also facilitate building, moving, and creating. Later in the year, Thaddeus Fairbanks, another American inventor born in Brimfield, Massachusetts, invented the platform scale. This invention can and will be used to measure the weight of more massive objects with greater accuracy. This technology is crucial to the future, and will possibly be put to fantastic use in households. Charles Goodyear, born in New Haven, Connecticut, was perhaps the greatest inventor of the year. He created a process to vulcanize rubber, which will be useful and essential in future inventions. Perhaps it will be used for small household objects or large locomotives. These inventors are working to make a more convenient world for Americans, and are improving the efficiency of society.

With these inventions, Americans will be seeing a lot more efficiency in the coming year, 1840. When these items reach the market, they will be the most popular things to buy. Americans everywhere will be wanting to get their hands on these up-and-coming products. Keep an eye out for these items so you or your company can become the most efficient around!

Caption for First Photo: William Otis' invention, the steam shovel, digs in piles of soil

Caption for Second Photo: Thaddeus Fairbanks' invention, the platform scale, sits on green grass.

Caption for Third Photo: Charles Goodyear stands in his workshop, holding rubber.

OBITUARIES

Feb 10, 1839

Josiah Collins II, owner and operator of Somerset Place died and will be buried in St. Paul's Churchyard. Before his death, he prepared Somerset Place for his son to take over.

April 1, 1839

Benjamin Pierce, an American politician and the ex-Governor of New Hampshire, died in a car derailing. His funeral will take place in Old North Cemetery in Merrimack County, New Hampshire.

June 10, 1839

Nathaniel Pryor, the Sergeant in charge of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, died. Pryor was previously recommended to President Andrew Jackson as an Indian agent.

1839

Major Ridge, a Cherokee leader and alliance to President Andrew Jackson, died in White Rock Creek in Dallas, Texas.

WORKS CITED:

"America's Best History - U.S. History Timeline: The 1830's." America's Best History - U.S. History Timeline: The 1830's. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015. <http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline1830.html>.

"Benjamin Pierce (1841 - 1853) - Find A Grave Memorial." Benjamin Pierce (1841 - 1853) - Find A Grave Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015. <http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6659809>.

"Famous Deaths for Year 1839." HistoryOrb.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015. <http://www.historyorb.com/deaths/date/1839>.

"Josiah Collins II (1763-1839)." North Carolina History Project :. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015. <http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/905/entry>.

"Major Ridge (ca. 1771-1839)." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015. <http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/major-ridge-ca-1771-1839>.

"Obituaries - 1839 - Nashville City Cemetery." Obituaries - 1839 - Nashville City Cemetery. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015. <http://www.thenashvillecitycemetery.org/1839.htm>.

IMAGES:

"Goodyear Corporate." Charles Goodyear. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015. <http://www.goodyear.com/corporate/history/history_story.html>.

"Popular Items for Platform Scale." Etsy. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015. <https://www.etsy.com/market/platform_scale>.

"Steam Shovel Working at Mount Morgan Mine." Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Commons, n.d. Web. 4 Feb. 2015. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StateLibQld_2_290983_Steam_shovel_workng_at_Mount_Morgan_Mine,_1905.jpg>.

A brand new normal school has recently opened up. A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. It's specific purpose is to enhance teaching abilities or standards to the students. On july 3rd, three young woman, who were high school graduates, reported to Lexington, Massachusetts. They had the hopes of attending the first state funded school specifically for public teacher education. All three girls had to take an evaluation to determine if they were satisfactorily versed in the subjects taught by the ordinary district school. After taking that examination they were granted admission to this experimental program. It was the first in the nation. 

  Now the motivation to provide public school education for all children was twofold. James G. Carter was the man who was the bill of creating the first school in Massachusetts. He named Horace Mann the first secretary in June 29, 1837. Mann had a dedication to this school. "I believe Normal Schools to be a new instrumentality in advancement of the race. I believe that, without them, Free Schools themselves would be shorn of their strength and their healing power and would at length become mere charity schools and thus die out in fact ad in form." Below is a picture of the three young women who were brave enough to attend this brand new school. Mann didn't give up on his wish and was able to create this school.