The Steam Engine and Electricity Powered the Industrial...

The Steam Engine and Electricity Powered the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was an extremely important historical process in which the societies and cultures in the West, and then throughout the world, transformed under the influence of technological and scientific progress. The Western world, as industrialized as it is today, is the final result. Two major inventions, the steam engine and electricity, were both crucial parts of the technological progress that turned the wheels of the Industrial Revolution. According to World History From 1500 by J. Michael Allen and James B. Allen, the Industrial Revolution could not have happened without a new, reliable source of power (144). The steam engine became such†¦show more content†¦In 1765 a brilliant Scottish inventor James Watt made a major improvement to the Newcomen’s engine; the resulting new engine required 75 percent less fuel. According to the History Channel presentation, Money and Power, the new invention got immediate attention of a Scottish businessman Roebuck, who bought two thirds of the patent. Later, unfortunately, the partnership fell apart, and Watt found a new partner in 1774, Matthew Boulton. Together they built a new water pump engine in five months, and by 1776 a few of the pumps were already in service. The new engine was far more affordable and efficient than Newcomen’s engine and greatly improved the production in the areas it was used. But more tasks were awaiting the steam engine; new machines in various branches of industry needed power. As Egon Larsen writes in A History of Invention, â€Å"Boulton badgered Watt to think of ways and means to convert the reciprocating movement of the engine into a rotary one for use in factories and, later perhaps, for vehicles and ships† (37). Watt produced at least five different solutions. So, in the last quarter of the eighteenth century, Watt’s engines were running all over Britain and abroad serving as pumps, blasting furnaces, and driving machinery in factories. As a result of these applications, â€Å"In 1800 Great Britain was producing more coal and iron than the rest of the world combined: 12 million tons of coalShow MoreRelatedSteam Engines Of The Industrial Revolution1442 Words   |  6 Pagesthe industrial revolution. The factories during this era, themselves, were powered by steam engines. But where did the steam engine come from? Who invented this revolutionary invention? How does the steam engine chug-chug at 50+ miles per hour by merely using hot air, emitted by boiling water. The answer to these questions: the steam engine was not invented nor developed solely by one person, but by contributions of a multitude of people throughout this time in history. A modern, simple steam engineRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution1633 Words   |  7 Pagesmeans of communication, factories to manufacture the products you need, places to work, and ways to travel and transport goods. And what made these possible? The answer is the Industrial Revolution, which started in Europe around the year 1730. A revolution is a major change or turning point in something. The Industrial Revolution was a major turning point in history and in the way people lived. Their careers, living situations, location, values, and daily routines all changed, and they needed it desperatelyRead MoreEssay on The Industrial Revolution1366 Words   |  6 PagesThe Industrial Revolution Introduction to the Revolution The Industrial revolution was a time of drastic change marked by the general introduction of power-driven machinery. This change generally helped life, but it had its disadvantages as well. Pollution, such as Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere rose, working conditions declined, and the number of women and children working increased. The government, the arts, literature, music, architecture and mans way of looking at life allRead MoreSteam Engines : The Steam Engine1854 Words   |  8 PagesHenderson said, â€Å"Science owes more to the steam engine than the steam engine owes to Science.† (Physicalworld) This statement made by a well-educated scientist shows how vital steam engines were to the people of the United States during the 18th, 19th, and even 20th century. Not only did these machines allow scientific breakthrough they also helped settle a nation that would soon be born into an industrial revolution fueled by the steam engine. Without these steam engines explora tion of the American frontierRead MoreEssay on The First Industrial Revolution: Progressing Society1022 Words   |  5 PagesThe First Industrial Revolution: Progressing Society The First Industrial Revolution modified every aspect of daily life. According to Princeton University â€Å"Economic historians are in agreement that the onset of the Industrial Revolution is the most important event in the history of humanity since the domestication of animals and plants† (Princeton par. 6). The First Industrial Revolution brought along machines, a capitalist economy, and trade expansion. Machines increased productivity, capitalistRead MoreDescribe how the second industrial revolution of the late nineteenth century differed from the first industrial revolution of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century.1420 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Describe how the second industrial revolution of the late nineteenth century differed from the first industrial revolution of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. This paper intends to compare the first industrial revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries and the second industrial revolution of the mid-18th and 19th centuries. It will highlight the transformation from the first revolution to the second revolution, focusing on the presence of giant firms and role of science and technologyRead MoreImpact Of Technology On Society Today1477 Words   |  6 Pageshas been found to be useful in many different ways like refining materials, use of it s by-products and heat, but coal has been mainly used as a source of energy used to power machinery and produce electricity. It is the resource that powered the machines responsible for the industrial revolution nearly two hundred and fifty years ago, and sparked the birth of what society as we know it. This paper will discuss the history of coal and the role it plays in creating the building blocks for modernRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution that Changed the Face of the World1374 Words   |  6 Pages The Industrial Revolution that changed the face of the world: Imagine life without education and the only source of income for a family to survive is through subsistence farming. Consider life without electricity and the only source of transportation was on foot or horseback riding, if you were fortune enough to afford a horse. During this time communication was also limited and extremely difficult. Life began to change as the Industrial Revolution impacted lives from Great Britain toRead MoreThe Three Industrial Revolutions1740 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION The term industrial revolution refers means the strong transformation of a society- economically, socially, culturally and geographically. The Industrial revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in manufacturing, agriculture, mining, transportation and technology had a profound effect on the social, cultural and economic conditions of the times. FIRST IR The main differences between the First and Second Industrial Revolution were the invisible handRead MoreIndustrial Revolution 34013 Words   |  17 PagesINDUSTRIAL STUDIES ASSIGNMENT NO 1 Development of Engineering since the Industrial Revolution The Main Outcomes of the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution had a huge impact on society. The major effects were socially and economically. It is rather difficult to date the start of the industrial revolution but history books of today suggest the onset during the 18th century. The change from agriculture to industry was vast and it must be remembered that England was