Colt's Page

Colt Edgcomb

Dec 12, 2025

History Summary Of Lessons 66-70

This week I learned about four inventions. They are the safety elevator, syringe, the Bessemer process, and the egg beater. These inventions came from the mid 1800s. They were innovations that improved lives and made everyday activities easier. Particularly, the Bessemer Process had wide-reaching uses that helped to transform our world. 

The safety elevator was the first type of elevator that had a built in failsafe. It was invented by Elisha Otis in 1852. Otis was born in Vermont in 1811. When he was a man he got married and moved his family to a river. He built a grist mill, but it failed. Then he opened another business, but unfortunately, it also failed. His first real success was the safety elevator. It gave elevators a braking system that would catch the elevator in case of a failure in the pulley system.

The syringe is a medical tool used to inject something into your body. It was invented in 1853 by Alexander Wood. Alex was born in Scotland in 1817, and was trained in a classic curriculum. He then attained a medical degree at Edinburg, and used morphine to treat patients. He was inspired to invent the syringe by observing a bee’s stinger. It was able to heal more and more people and increased longevity.

The Bessemer process is the process in which pig iron, unusable iron, is converted to steal. It was invented by Henry Bessemer in 1855. He was born in England in 1813 and became a prolific inventor like his father. He became interested in weapons due to the Crimean War, and the king needed more steal for the weapons. Bessemer set out to make a process that would create more steal, and invented the bessemer process!… By accident.

The egg beater is a tool used in the kitchen to mix and beat eggs. It was invented in 1856 by Ralph Collier. Egyptians invented the oven, and grew from family labor to profession in Rome. Guilds rose and lasted through the middle ages, and Ralph decided to invent it to make it much easier to beat eggs.

These inventions were great for society making things easier, safer, and better. My favorite invention was the Bessemer Process. My favorite weapon is the sword, and everyone knows the best swords are made of steal!