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the steam engine: a history
The James Watt steam engine that we commonly know today, was not designed entirely by James Watt but rather modified (History Learning Site, 2016). The steam engine was originally designed by Thomas Savery and Thomas Newcomen in 1698, but their original design was rather slow, unreliable and inefficient (Wikipedia, 2016). James Watt improved upon this design in 1764, and this report will discuss why the modifications on the steam engine created such a breakthrough in design that enabled the success of the industrial revolution. Steam engines were used in the industrial revolution for powering equipment in factories such as Whitbread’s London Brewery, for machines that produced textiles, in cotton mills and all types of manufacturing. The steam engine powered machines replaced jobs that were originally done by humans such as grinding materials, weaving and pumping liquids (Phil Shapiro, 1995). The steam engine could create the same amount of products people originally produced by hand many times faster than previously possible and this is what lead to the term ‘mass production’. This process made many people wealthy very quickly as they could create and sell products faster and more efficiently (Wikipedia, 2016). This also lead to mass consumerism as more people were buying the products. This change in production process lead to massive changes in how people worked in a number of ways. One effect to employment was that many jobs people did were replaced by machines (Prezi-2012). Mass production increased the need for factory workers and encouraged people from the country to move to the city for work. The factory owners demanded workers to work unreasonable hours for not much money which increased social class difference and forced many families to send their kids to work in the factories as well. The use of natural resources changed because in order to operate, steam engines required immense amount heat from burning coal. Because using coal in steam engines was so efficient compared to the original sources of power, which was water, wind, animal and wood, using these renewable sources of energy stopped in favour of fossil fuels (Wikipedia – 2016). This created lots of damage to the environment in regards to high amounts of carbon dioxide and smog which also caused many health problems for people at the time. The steam engine also inspired the invention of the locomotive (not to be confused with the steam engine). This created an easier mode of transport for the general population and an easier mode of exporting and importing goods. The steam engine powered locomotive affected the countryside as it needed large amounts of space to operate, this impacted farmland and carved holes into the mountains. By 1840, there were at least 2 000 miles of railroads built throughout Britain (Prezi, 2012). The steam engine had also impacted the iron industry as this invention made it easier to refine and export. The steam engine inspired inventions because it enabled things to be built faster, and safer than compared to being built by hand, so the steam engine alone revolutionised the way people thought about how things were designed, and built.

Bibliography:
Invention of the Steam Engine http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/steam.engines.html Industrial Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution#Railways The Watt Steam Engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watt_steam_engine Timeline http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/watt_james.shtml James Watt http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/britain-1700-to-1900/industrial-revolution/james-watt/ Boulton and Watt Engine https://maas.museum/event/the-boulton-and-watt-engine/ Steam engines Evolution and impact on Society https://prezi.com/r2u_kkzye7rr/steam-engines-evolution-and-impact-on-society/