Buttons, Oil Painting, Cannons, Spinning Wheel

   Buttons: Buttons were invented in the 1200s. They helped clothes be tighter and keep in more heat. Rich used them first, then poor wanted to copy them. Daring WWI soldiers hid compasses in buttons. Today buttons are made out of plastic.

   Oil Painting: Before oil painting was invented we had to use tempera paint. Tempera is made from pigment and a binder like egg yolk, milk, or honey. Purple pigment came from snail mucus. Blue pigment comes from blue gemstones. Painters helped people understand the Bible.

   Cannons: Before cannons were invented, there were lots of stone castles. There were lots of small kingdoms. Cannons are more accurate than the trebuchet. Rifling made it even better.

   Spinning Wheel: Looms got so good, they could not make thread fast enough. The Chinese invented the spinning wheel. An entrepreneur brought it to Europe in the 1200s. Now they could make it 10 times faster. These improvements made the first factories.

Trebuchets, Distilled Spirits, Stern-mounted Rudder

   Trebuchets: A trebuchet is kind of like a sling. David used a sling to protect his sheep like other shepherds. David also used his sling to kill Goliath. A trebuchet is much, much bigger than a normal sling and could do more damage. Men would shoot heads, rocks, and dead bodies out of a trebuchet. The Chinese invented the trebuchet.

   Distilled Spirits: Distilled spirits are alcohol. Ancient people used water wheels to bring energy to the city. Some water wheels needed aqueducts, but they were expensive. So they invented the vertical windmill. It brings power to the city. Instead of using the water wheel they used the vertical windmill.

   Stern-mounted Rudder: The stern-mounted rudder made it easier for sailers to sail large ships. This means it was less expensive to ship cargo.

Universities, Wine Press, Ribbed Vault, Chimneys

   Universities: In early Rome, children had to have tutors or their father had to teach them. When Rome fell, Greek slaves had to teach the children in private school. Later on, the church built universities to train men to study the Bible.

   Wine Press: A wine press smashes grapes. Churches owned wine presses. Churches charged people to use their wine press.

   Ribbed Vault: The Romans invented the ribbed vault to reflect the glory of God and from the description of the church in Revelation. They made ceilings taller and bigger and longer. Ribbed vaults could sometimes be found in churches, cathedrals, and castles.

   Chimneys: A chimney comes out of a roof. When a fire is burning in a fireplace, the smoke goes up the chimney out in the sky. This keeps the smoke out of the house where people can get ill.

Forest Glass

   The people in the Roman civilization made many inventions. One of those inventions was glass. There were a group of people that made glass. They all used the same tools and machines to make the same kind of glass. All the glass looked the same; it was thin and clear.

   Finally, the Roman empire collapsed because the aqueducts broke and the Romans had to leave the city. They needed to live near water. they couldn't make glass the same way because they didn't have the right tools and machines. The Romans wanted to invent new ways to make glass. They experimented with sand and ashes. They invented forest glass. Forest glass was never the same color. Forest glass was thicker and it had many different styles.

My Favorite Invention

   The compass is my favorite invention so far because it is a good tool. It helps divers not get lost while swimming in the ocean. If you are lost in the woods, you can use a compass to find your way home. If a pirate was looking for buried treasure and the map said to go north, he could use a compass to find the hidden treasure. A pilot can use a compass so he doesn't get lost in the rain or clouds.

   Before the compass was invented, men used the sun and stars to navigate. If it got cloudy or rainy, men would get lost or they had to stay home and not get to work.

   The Chinese were the first to invent the compass. The Chinese used spoons instead of needles. Isn't that hilarious?

Small Inventions = Progress

   Small inventions add up over time. The Chinese invented the compass around 200 B.C. Western Europ started using the compass around the 13th century. The hourglass was commonly used around the 14th century. Sailers used the compass and the hourglass together to sail farther.

   People have to use inventions or they are not useful. The Chinese and the Mongols had the invention of the stirrup. The Chinese did not use the stirrup effectively. The Mongols used the stirrup and beat the Chinese.

   Inventions are a form of capital. Capital helps us do more work. It takes hard work to build capital. Christians believe hard work is good. Most people think work is bad. This might explain the difference in societies today.

The Compass

   Before the compass was invented, seafarers used the sun an the stars to sail. They could not go far from land into the ocean, because they could get lost. They needed landmarks to tell where they were going and how they would get home.

   The Chinese were the first ones to invent the compass, on accident! The Chinese did not believe in God. They tried to invent ways to be in harmony with nature and invented the compass. Their compass used spoons instead of needles.

   The Europeans got the compass from the Arabs who got it from the Chinese. The Europeans used the compass while sailing. Now they could sail far from home. They could trade goods with other countries and explore new lands.