Introduction
Most of the literature considers Charles Latham Sholes as the main inventor of the typewriter. However, previously, many engineers, such as William Austin, had tried inventing a typing machine but were unsuccessful (Fillipi 5). Sholes-Gideon’s typewriter was the first successful typing machine invented in 1867. With the aid of his close friends Carlos Glidden and Soule Samuel, Sholes was able to succeed in the invention of the typewriter. After reading through the article explaining the writing machine prototype by Pratt, Sholes was inspired to make his own machine (Maebh 23). Through numerous trials and experiments, Sholes at last invented the machine with the ability of typing the letter “W”. The machine was invented to improve the creation of documents.
Impact of the Typewriter’s Invention on USA
The typewriter invention led to the documentation of politics-related documents in a timely and more standardized format, which eased the communication between the political leaders and the local people through published news (Fillipi 12). Technological advancement highly increased the rate of information flow and efficiency as the typewriter consumed less time than human writing.
The typewriter led to significant changes in the work environments and business operations. The machine led to the decrease in the time as well as costs in the creation of business documents which gave rise to the advancement of the systematic management of workplaces and business operations (Gershon 7). The typing machine led to the development of a communication system that changed the nature of the business in the US. It is true that the typewriter creation was not the initiator of introducing women into the business and office world but the reduction of the number of men due to the impact of the civil war and the growing events of the specialization and division of labor led to the growth of feminization in most of the office operations in 1890s (Fillipi 15). Unlike the limited number of women in office entities in the 1870s, there were over 64% female typists and stenographers in 1890s (Fillipi 15).
The typewriter led to changes in the people’s way of life. Even though the typing machine took several years to be fully used by a large number of people, it caused enormous changes in the lives of stenographers and typists (Maebh 26). Several office jobs were opened in most businesses in the US which saw a significant percentage of women getting employed and created an escape route from the hard work of the factory jobs. It should be noted that office work was properly organized in a clean environment and was well-paid compared to the labor jobs in factories.
The economic environment of the US was positively affected as the invention of the typewriter led to the development of industries which could add to the revenue of the country as well as providing citizens with a source of income (Maebh 29). In the late 1890s, many women changed the lives of their families and this period was characterized by an economic boom due to the success of various businesses.
The typewriter brought about changes in the manufacturing industry. It is clear that after the invention of the typewriter, Sholes lacked the funds to produce the machine. He sold some of his patents to Remington and sons in 1873, who were gun manufacturers (Gershon 11). The company in conjunction with other industries developed typing machines. The production process involved several companies.
Conclusion
Sholes was inspired by the article which was describing the typing machine by Pratt. In 1867, with the aid of his friends, Sholes successfully created the typewriter. The invention of the typewriter led to the creation of jobs for women especially, as well as to the improvements in technology and effective communication in business and political world, among others.
Works Cited
Steven, Fillipi. “Nine “striking” Facts About the History of the Typewriter.” OUPblog, 2018.
Livia, Gershon. “How Typewriters Changed Everything.” JSTOR Daily, 2018.
Long, Maebh. “Is It About a Typewriter? Brian O’Nolan and Technologies of Inscription.” The Parish Review: Journal of Flann O’Brien Studies, vol. 4, no. 2, 2020.