Essay on How Britain Changed Between 1750 and 1900

The economy of England during the 18th century was one that needed rebuilding after many years of war with other countries. A breakthrough of new technology and ideas boosted the economy, creating a time known commonly as the Industrial Revolution. Specifically, there was one invention that defined the Industrial Revolution. The steam engine, a device powered by coal used to run machines at an efficient rate, was developed during the Industrial Revolution. The invention of the steam engine had a major effect on the economy of England during the Industrial Revolution through its use in mining, transportation, and factories.

The idea of using steam as a force to power machinery was not new during the seventeen hundreds; it had already been mentioned by ancient Greek scholars. It was scientist such as James watt that refined that idea to create the steam engine (Live science, 2012). The concept is simple, water is heated by coal and the resulting steam acts as a driving force for the machines, similar to how the rivers flow powered the mills (Live science, 2012). Water power meant that factories were limited to certain locations, however steam powered factories could did not have such constraint (Live science, 2012). The steam engine expanded industries all over Britain. First, it improved the coal industry by pumping water out of coal mines, making it safe from flooding (Live science, 2012). Secondly, the

“The water-frame used the waterpower from fast-flowing streams to drive spinning wheels.” (course reader 102) Then there was the introduction of the steam engine and power-loom. Due to an expired patent, James Watt decided to create his version of the steam engine for use in a cotton mill plant and introduced a system for the factory that was revolutionary. As a result, wages and manufacturing of cotton and iron really increased. This helped get more work done in less time and gave people jobs. (Document 2) The steam engines also helped get the economy ramped up by being able to bring supplies to the cities and more jobs to people. The steam engines provided jobs because they needed miners, engineers, and sailors who could build the canals and railroads for this transportation. As a result, they could bring supplies to the cities which also increased farmland available to produce more food for everyone. (Document 3) The steam engine brought in railroad development, industrialization and changes to the population. (Document 9) With the growth of railways and transportation, from 1801-1851, many cities were developed within the central part of Great Britain and the population

The most successful steam engine, built by Thomas Newcomen, was used to clean water out of the mines, which meant more coal to power more steam engines, which led James Watt to see the opportunity for improvement. Watt’s newer engine made railroads and steamboats possible. Actually almost all electricity all over the world, whether from coal or nuclear power is just a steam engine, which shows how truly revolutionary the steam engine was.

In spite of the fact that steam as a method for force had been initially explored different avenues regarding by the antiquated Greeks and Romans a large number of years prior, and the first trial steam motors had been fabricated as right on time as the late seventeenth century, it wasn't until the turn of the nineteenth century that it turned into the really commonsense vitality source which was to light the modern insurgency. Indeed, it is difficult to envision the nineteenth century without the steam motor, for from numerous points of view it was the main thrust behind America's western development, assumed a noteworthy part in the North winning the Civil War, and helped the United States make its initial conditional strides

First of all, what are the steam engine and internal combustion engine? The steam engine was first created in 1698, then was reintroduced in 1763 by James Watt. A steam engine works by boiling a big tank of water, called the boiler, under high pressure to produce steam. Tubes run from the firebox to the chimney and carry the

The steam engine revolutionized the way mechanical work was done. Its invention came in the early 1700s in Spain; it worked but was not very efficient, as many firsts are. In 1781, James Watt patented a steam engine that became a key part of the Industrial Revolution; one that worked in a continuous rotative motion that produced torque to do mechanical work. The Industrial Revolution started in 1760 and lasted through the 1840s, during the industrialization of the United States. Once the Watt steam engine had proved itself, it was time for it to be used in other means than just

There were countless amount of inventions that were being invented. Steam power is believed to be one of the greatest inventions of them all. The invention of the steamboat changed the way we did most of our tasks. Food, resources, and people can now be exported/imported on a much faster and efficient rate.

This all changed in 1763, when James Watt, a Scottish engineer, set out to improve upon Newcomen's design. The Newcomen design was unfortunately overshadowed by the well known James Watt. Beginning in 1765, Watt was labeled the "inventor" of the steam engine. James Watt was born on January 19, 1736, in Greenock, Scotland. He worked as a mathematical-instrument maker from the age of 19 and soon became interested in improving the steam engines. Around 1769, he was assigned the task of repairing a Newcomen engine that was deemed inefficient. The Newcomen engine however was the best engine available at the time. “Watt eventually added a separate condenser to Newcomen's engine. This caused the steam to condense in a separate vessel instead of within the cylinder itself. This conserved heat energy that had been lost due to alternately heating and cooling the cylinder. Watt's addition saved almost %75 of the fuel that had previously been used by the engine.” (Robert H. Thurston) Because of

Railroads that were once operated by horse and wagon were finally made into steel tracks for steam trains to carry goods. This was especially important to the coal industry because it made the jobs of the miners much safer than before. Small railways made of steel were formed underground to transport the coal out of the mines by the use of small railcars. The idea to use steel in the process of transportation was nothing new at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Britain was known to have vast amounts of steel and had been working since about 1800 on using steel as tracks and a train or buggy type to transport things.

Around when the Industrial Revolution began, agriculture began to take a turn in it’s way of harvesting crops. New techniques of growing and tending crops spread across Europe in the 1700s. “The improved yield of the agricultural sector can be attributed to the enclosure movement and to improved techniques and practices developed during this

The steel industry was also revolutionized through the use of the steam engine. Steel, smelted from iron, was beaten, rolled or shaped on steam-powered machines. This steel became very cheap, and was able to be used for the railroad tracks, and also used later on in construction. (Gordon). Without the steal to be shaped so fast by the steam engines, countries couldn't have expanded its trade and travel the way it did. It is also said that, "The water works and, in many cases, the canals could not exist without steam-power, for their very existence depended upon the regular raising of large quantities of water to high levels. Steam was the only power that made this possible." (The Penetration of the Industry by steam power) Without the steam engine, these factories, mills, agricultural advances, and other industries could not have been revolutionized in the way they were.

The canalization of rivers, the steam engine, and railways were key components of the development of industry [2]. The extensive canal system was created around the mid 1700s to move goods and supplies inland. This system was cheaper and quicker than shipping goods over land [3]. The steam engine, however, was the driving force behind the Industrial Revolution. Prior to the invention of steam power, factories were located along rivers and used water for power. The development of a practical, efficient steam engine and its application to industry and transportation was a great leap in progress for industrialization. The steam engine’s application was limitless, and it was responsible for lifting industries from infancy to adolescence. Steam engines were used to develop machines that operated factory systems, pumps for mines, faster ships, and locomotives. A steam locomotive was able to carry raw materials and products very quickly. The expansion of the uses of the steam engine created the steam locomotive and a greater need for a railroad system. As a result, Railroads multiplied rapidly in England from 1,000 miles in 1836 to more than 7,000 miles by 1852 [4]. Machinery took the place of the work of many humans and made the work easier on others.

The idea using the power of steam to our advantage goes back nearly twenty-one centuries. A learned writer in ancient Alexandria, named Hero, wrote a manuscript describing various devices and ideas of the time. Although it is not proven that Hero was the inventor of any of these devices, he is given credit for the earliest mention of steam power. Hero describes a method to open the doors of a temple with the action of a fire on the alter at the front of the temple. A series of pipes runs between the alter and the temple doors. The force of the steam created by the fire on the alter is strong enough to open the temple doors. The essential principle that Hero used was to change heat energy into mechanical energy or work. Supposedly, Hero continued his work and ended up creating what is often called the "First Steam Engine." Hero's engine is featured on below on the right. The cauldron or bowl like portion AB holds water. There is a steam tight cover place over top of the cauldron. Two pipes extend from the lid and suspend a globe directly above the cauldron. The water is heated, causing steam to be created and forced through the pipes. The globe then fills with steam. Pipes K and H are located on opposite sides of the globe and allow the steam to escape when the pressure becomes uneven. The escaping steam then causes the globe to spin on its axis.

“One factor contributing to the development of industry in Great Britain was that nation's large supply of coal and iron ore. For many centuries, the British had converted their iron ores to iron and steel by heating the raw material with charcoal, made from trees. By the mid-eighteenth century, however, the nation's timber supply had largely been decimated. Iron and steel manufacturers were forced to look elsewhere for a fuel to use in treating iron ores. The fuel they found was coal. When coal is heated in the absence of air it turns into coke. Coke proved to be a far superior material for the conversion of iron ore to iron and then to steel. It was eventually cheaper to produce than charcoal and it could be packed more tightly into a blast furnace, allowing the heating of a larger volume of iron.” The living standard as well as health increased with the increase in trade, more food products and livestock can be transported to further cities. As the steam engine improved trade and travel, the assembly line did for manufacturing.