Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew . And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency. 

Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection. 

Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine. 

American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe's machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines. 

Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer's hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical. It could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals. 

However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement . Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties . In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention. QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. What did Isaac Singer do for a living?
2. What was Isaac Singer's job?
3. 
Q2:
1. What is the name of the product that Isaac Singer improved on?
2. Isaac Singer improved on which product.
3. 
Q3:
1. What did Elias Howe do for a living?
2. What was Elias Howe's job?
3. 
Q4:
1. When was Elias Howe born?
2. What is Elias Howe's birthday?
3. 
Q5:
1. What do Elias Howe and Isaac Singer have in common regarding their nationality?
2. What is similar between Elias Howe and Isaac Singer regarding their nationality?
3. 
Q6:
1. Was sewing considered to be something new or old?
2. Would one view sewing as an old or a new practice?
3. 
Q7:
1. How long has sewing been happening?
2. For how much time has sewing taken place?
3. 
Q8:
1. What were the earliest needles made of?
2. What was used to make needles thousands of years ago?
3. 
Q9:
1. What did Elias Howe and Isaac Singer try to create to modernize sewing?
2. What device did Elias Howe and Isaac Singer attempt to create in order to make sewing faster?
3. 
Q10:
1. What are the names of the people that ended up in a legal battle?
2. Which people were involved in a legal battle?
3. 
Q11:
1. Why were Elias Howe and Isaac Singer involved in a legal battle?
2. What is the reason behind Elias Howe and Isaac Singer's legal battle?
3. 
