The Early Days of Engineering

Abstract

Although the formal profession of engineering originated in the fifteenth century as a military endeavor, scientific concepts applied in the form of engineering projects have been in existence for many thousands of years. By the eighteenth century and with the emergence of the Industrial Revolution, engineering moved away from purely military applications, into the civilian sphere (hence the term “civil engineer”) and began to resemble the various types of engineering we now know. This expansion was made possible by the realization that common principles applied not only to the building of catapults, but to the building of roads and bridges as well. At first, engineering resembled the craft traditions where daughters and wives had been welcomed as apprentices and unpaid artisans. However, as the Industrial Revolution spawned mass production and increased demands for technical education, the sphere became almost entirely male. European universities did not admit women. The engineering schools established in the U.S. in the 1800s also did not admit women. In spite of these barriers, women did manage to contribute to engineering and science. Profiles are provided for scientific and engineering women from the early centuries through the 1800s.