Essay --

First, a bit of background on the inventor and his innovation. Thomas Davenport lived in Vermont in the 19th century as a blacksmith and shop owner. During the early 1830s, Davenport heard about an interesting invention, and travelled to see Joseph Henry’s electromagnet. The magnet was used in an ironworks to separate different types and purities of iron, but was considered inefficient and was more of an interesting contraption than a useful device. By studying the electromagnet, Davenport figured out how to build his own electromagnet. He also made a few changes and came up with something of his own design.â€Å"He mounted two electromagnets to a pivot, and two others on fixed poles. He than used a battery attached by a commutator (a switching device) to supply current to the system. When he threw the switch the device rotated and thus created the "first" electric motor.†(http://edisontechcenter.org/DavenportThomas.html) Davenport had created a battery-powered electric motor, powerful enough to operate some the of the equipment he used in his blacksmith shop. He also believed in the motor’s ability to power locomotives, and built a small electric circular track with electricity-conducting rails and a small battery in the center to power the model train that was on the track to demonstrate its ability. He found the motor had many applications as a power source. He used his electric motor to power a printing press (which he then used to publish a journal about electromagnetism), a small electric car that was one of the first of its kind, and an electric powered piano. Davenport’s motor was unable to be profitable, however. â€Å"No one knew how to predict the amount of energy in chemical batteries, and a battery-powered motor could not compe... ... What they had previously were horses, which were inefficient and time-consuming in comparison. Streetcars were a valuable form of local transportation at the time and are used in some places even today. Davenport’s electric car could also be the prototype for modern electric cars today. The main difference is that his car was on a track. Until then, not many people had considered electricity’s use as a power source for vehicles. Thanks to Davenport’s invention, inventors and scientists could speculate on it’s use and efficiency as a motor for transportation that could be available to the public. The most difficult part of such a task would be how to power the vehicle. The advances and new technology after Davenport were able to take advantage of his motor and the knowledge it gave them, and people were able to create a power source that was practical and efficient.