why did they invent the elevator?

Answer 1

As some of the other answers have shown, the use of some sort of elevator for moving THINGS (food, etc) is rather long. But even in multi-story buildings, PEOPLE would still take the stairs. The change is related in part to the development of the skyscraper, as follows --

In the mid-19th century there was a major "upward growth" in buildings, including the invention of the "skyscraper". Consider the following.

A) The growing NEED/desire for skyscrapers was related to the growth of an area, but limitations on suitable land to build on in the immediate vicinity. This is obvious in the three cities where skyscrapers first appeared -- London, New York and Chicago (though the historical order is more the reverse of that!!)

B) The ABILITY to construct such a tall building as the modern skyscraper depended on the overcoming of TWO major obstacles:

**1) the invention of a SAFER elevator o carry PEOPLE (there's only so far up it was practical to expect people to climb stairs! but it has to be safe enough people are willing to use it!) -- a nineteenth century development.

Key point = the 1853 invention (by Elisha Graves Otis) of a safety device to kept elevators from falling if a cable should break. This was not the first elevator of any sort, but it WAS the first that could be used to safely move PEOPLE a significant distance.

2) structure that can support such a tall construction (both the weight and the force of winds) -- steel beam construction in the 1880s resolved this problem.

The key place where much of this happened was Chicago. The key EVENT that propelled it was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and the sudden explosive growth that followed it. The limited land forced them to 'look up'. And technological skills amongst those who had recently moved to the city made it possible.

especially useful: http://www.factmonster.com/spot/skyscraperhistory.html

see also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1149.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Chicago#Great_Chicago_Fire
On the Great Chicago Fire and its results, you may also be interested in the new book *Seven Fires* by Peter Charles Hoffer (Public Affairs, 2006), pp. 106-52. (I just picked this up at the library last week, so your question caught my attention.)

Answer 2

Actually 2 different people invented the elevator.
One invented the UP elevator and the other invented the DOWN elevator. The UP was much more popular, so Mr. Otis gets credit for it.

Answer 3

To get to the top floor

Seriously, in certain locations land was at a premium, so buildings needed to go up; however, no one would be willing to walk more than 3-5 flights of stairs, therefore the need for elevators.

Answer 4

The modern elevator was invented because the skyscraper building was beginning to appear, and people would find it bothersome to be climbing so many floors.

Answer 5

Elevators were developed by a man named Otis int he late 1800s when it became possible to start building really tall buildings.

Until then, the strongest buildings were built of stone--but, strong as it is, sthone is also very heavy. A building taller than 8-9 stories was almost imposssible to build. Tnen, in thelate 19th century, new types o fsteel wee developed and could be used to build te kind of steel frame structures we have today.

However--when you start building such tall structures--the skyscrapers, as they came to be called, you can't very well expect people to climb 20-30-40 stories or more using stairs. So elevators were developed to carry people up and down. Of course, we use them for shorter buildings, too. But their main purpose was to help make really tall buildings practical.

Answer 6

clearly they invented it so they could play elevator music.

Answer 7

So we would not have to walk up 28 flights of stairs with heavy loads on our backs.

Answer 8

too lazy take the stairs or for people who were unable to climb stairs as in wheelchair bound people

Answer 9

delivering food from one floor to the next

Answer 10

So you don't have to walk if you don't want to!!<3