Since the 14th century, scholars have unsuccessfully attempted to create what they called a "writing machine." This machine allowed for the user to press a button and have a letter inked on paper, rather that writing everything out by hand. The first successful attempt at this was in 1873, when Remington & Sons Co. developed the first commercially available typewriter in history. It got its name from the movable-type printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1440's. (A "type" was what Gutenberg called each letter in his printing press.) Throughout the rest of the 1800's and into the 1900's, many different improvements were made to it, such as the addition of the "shift" key which literally shifted the keyboard over to access the uppercase letters. The standard layout of the keys was the QWERTY layout we know today, but the layout could vary depending on what country you are in. Typewriters allowed many women to join the workforce in World War I and World War II, and typewriters were standard in many offices until around the 1970's and 1980's. In the 1970's, a company called Diablo Systems created the first ever electric typewriter, and this would eventually give rise to the electric keyboard as we know them with computers today.
I personally found it very interesting to research the typewriter. I knew it was invented after the American Civil War, but I also learned several things I didn't know about it. For example, I learned that the concept was born and people had been trying to invent it since the 14th century. I am kind of surprised that this wasn't invented sooner after the invention of the printing press in the 1440's. Especially since the printing press was invented during the Renaissance, it makes sense that the typewriter would be the natural progression from that.
Click this link for a timeline of the typewriter's history.
I personally found it very interesting to research the typewriter. I knew it was invented after the American Civil War, but I also learned several things I didn't know about it. For example, I learned that the concept was born and people had been trying to invent it since the 14th century. I am kind of surprised that this wasn't invented sooner after the invention of the printing press in the 1440's. Especially since the printing press was invented during the Renaissance, it makes sense that the typewriter would be the natural progression from that.
Click this link for a timeline of the typewriter's history.
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