The evolution of each of these devices both reflected and caused significant changes in the way work was performed, with broad implications not only for a specific productive activity but also the way in which American society functioned in general. The forces propelling the development of these machines also propelled the development of other technologies and management strategies, which came to define what it means to work to this very day. By using the technical and social history of the sewing machine and the typewriter as a springboard, this course will explore a variety of issues about what was gained and lost in the process and the current significance of the answers to these questions.