This week in history I learned about the post card, the gatling gun, and linoleum.
The first thing I learned about this week was the postcard. The postal system was reformed with the introduction of the postage stamp in the 1840s, and paper prices were falling because of improved experience in the stationary profession. Postcards are cheap, simple ways to deliver a long distance message. The pictures and photos on them created interest that motivates people to buy them. The internet era has made the postcard mostly redundant, but they are still important for advertising.
The second thing I learned about this week was the gatling gun. In the early 19th century, the cannon was the most powerful battlefield weapon. Richard Gatling invented the Gatling soldiers in battle. It fires thousands of rounds per minute through a series of rotating barrels so that they don’t over heat. Gatling sold the weapon to the US. military by putting on a live demonstration. The gun was used to expand the British and American empires.
The third and last thing I learned about this week was linoleum. Floor covering products advanced from stores to carpeting to rubber by the mic-1800s. Fredrik Walton invented linoleum after noticing how linseed oil dries into a rubber-like consistency. It’s a cheap, but durable flooring that is easy to clean and therefore is hygienic. Walton combined aggressive marketing with storefronts to allow people to walk in and see the product in action. Linoleum played a role in displacing weed flooring after World War 2, and it is iconic of the 1950s.
The most interesting thing I learned about this week was linoleum because you can have beautiful looking floors and durable floors all at the same time.
The things I learned about this week helped with mail and writing notes, guns and floors.
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