16th Century Inventions
The 16th century, a time of great change in Western culture, ran from 1500 to 1599. Society was slowly transitioning from a feudal to a growing capitalist economy. The 16th century also marks the changeover from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, which heralded a revival of interest in classical ideas and philosophy and a new spirit of scientific inquiry. The major inventions of the 16th century include the stocking frame, the portable watch, graphite pencils and the flush toilet.
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The Stocking Frame
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The stocking frame was invented by the Reverend William Lee in the 1580s. It allowed for the swift production of stockings, which previously were made completely by hand. The stocking frame was among the first inventions that led to the Industrial Revolution. Lee tried and failed to patent his machine in England, so he took it to France instead. Despite the revolutionary quality of his machine, the stocking frame didn't become well utilized until after Lee's death.
The Pocket Watch
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Clocks are relatively old inventions, but portable time telling devices were not invented until the 16th century. The first portable watch was made possible by Peter Henlein's invention of the spring-powered clock in 1510. The term pocket watch is a bit misleading, however, because unlike modern pocket watches, the first portable time pieces were very large and heavy, generally worn around the neck like a medallion or about the waist like a belt.
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The Graphite Pencil
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The first graphite pencils were made and used in England around 1560. The graphite was mined from Cumberland, England then wrapped in string or placed into wooden tubes so people could use them to write. The modern pencil as we know it was invented 60 years later in Germany, when a piece of graphite was encased in two pieces of wood, which were then glued together. It was also in Germany in the 18th century that inventors discovered they could mix graphite with other materials, thus allowing them to make pencils more economically.
The Flush Toilet
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Although a seemingly modern creation, the first flush toilet was invented in 1596 by Sir John Harrington, Queen Elizabeth I's godson. He built and installed a toilet for the Queen in the Royal Palace. Although she was delighted with her godson's invention, it had many problems (most notably poor ventilation) and was too expensive for most people. The flush toilet would not become truly popular in Europe until the 18th century. It took even longer -- until the early 20th century -- for them to become common in America.
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