Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Elisha Otis: Elevator Safety Brake
In the 1800s, cities were growing. New inventions came along in the late 1700s and 1800s that changed the way people lived. New machines changed farming. Fewer people were needed to grow food. Many people left their small farms. They moved to towns and cities to work in the new factories. Now machines could manufacture thread, yarn, and cloth. People no longer had to make everything they needed themselves.
New homes and office spaces were needed, and less land was available. New buildings were being built with more and more floors or stories. People could manage walking up and down a few flights of stairs. With taller and taller buildings being built, something new was needed. Freight elevators were invented first. They were used in mines, warehouses, and factories. They could carry furniture and goods, but they weren't very safe.
