James Watt, The Invention of the Steam Engine
Rahsaan Simpson
In the early 19th century, there were limited ways for people to travel. People used railroads, steamboats, or horse-drawn wagons for transportation. In addition to transportation, the steam engine was used for pumping water. James Watt’s steam engine was used to improve military vehicles, and it assisted with providing energy as a power source to factories. James Watt’s improvements to Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine later led to better improvements of this invention changeing the world by improving local transportation, military war vehicles, factories, and boosted the economy during the 19th century.
James Watt’s is historically credited as the inventor of the steam engine. He is given this honor because he made the best steam engine that helped jumpstart the Industrial Revolution, but there were actually more inventors before him. “During the first century Greek engineer, Hero of Alexandria, designs the first steam engine; it has a pedestal, an altar, and a rotating ball -- but no practical use (Green 2012).” There were many other inventors that attempted to improve the steam engine before James Watt, but they were unsuccessful. James Watt decided to enhance the steam engine based on Thomas Newcomen’s design. “The man who vastly improved the Newcomen steam engine and made it effective enough to propel the Industrial Revolution in its early stages was James Watt (1763-1819) (Gopalakrishanan 2009).” James Watt’s technological enhancements to the steam engine ignited The Industrial revolution and changed America forever.
Thomas Newcomen was a blacksmith from Dartmouth England and in 1712, he invented a steam engine known as the “Atmospheric Steam Engine.” “Inventors, Edward Somerset of Worcester, Thomas Savery, and John Desaguliers, were researching the technology before Thomas Newcomen began his experiments, and their research inspired inventors Thomas Newcomen and James Watt to invent practical and useful steam-powered machines (Bellis 2015).” The steam engine by Newcomen was not very successful in the late 1700’s because it was unable to generate enough power to power vehicles and factories. “James Watt’s steam engine was smaller. (Rackliffe 2015). It also used less coal to run and provide much more power (Rackliffe 2015).” Newcomen’s invention also required more coal than James Watt’s steam engine. The first designed atmospheric steam engine was not highly efficient but improvements were made which helped pave the way for bigger and more effective steam engines in later years.
Once the steam engine was improved, people began using it locally to travel. Steam engines were used in steamboats, and steam trains. The most common type of transportation for people was cars powered by a steam engine. “During the 1890’s, 100 different companies were making steam-powered automobiles (Transportation in the 1800s 2003).” When the steam engines started becoming popular everyone tried to make new ways to travel. There were many more efforts to create vehicles before James Watt’s steam engine but none of the vehicles were effective. “Sixteen hundred years after the ancient Greek scientist first made mention of the untapped power of steam, the technology would become the hero and the engine that drove the Industrial Revolution (Whipps 2015).” Hero of Alexandria was the first one to use steam power but its usage was limited because the technology was too primitive. “The first vehicle to move under its own power the Cugnot Steam Trolley…. The machine needed to stop every 15 minutes to build power, and on its first trip around Paris in 1770, it crashes into a wall (Amanda 2012).”
The first machine to move by its self was unsuccessful because it had to gain power every 15 minutes and it traveled 2 ½ mph. Steam locomotives made it possible to transport goods farther and faster to other countries. “Ships and trains powered by steam moved manufactured goods and people from place to place quickly and more efficiently (Cummins, Media 2001-2015).” Before the steam engine people had to walk to transport goods but they could not go far without getting tired. Horses were not as fast as steam locomotives and horses could not travel far without getting tired. Consequently, before the invention of the steam engine the only way people could travel was by horse, foot and boat.
The steam engine led to vast improvements in military war vehicles. After James Watt introduced his steam engine to the world in the early 1800’s, Robert Fulton used the same technology to create the most durable warships. The steam powered warships provided the most protection but took a long time to become popular because they were extremely slow. However, the steam warship was a big help to the United States military who used the first steam powered warship. “Steam warships were slow to catch on, but by the late 1850s, all new warships by the Navy featured steam engines (Bailey 2014).” Sail ships, the most common boats before, the steam engine were faster but they were weaker because it was being pushed by the wind only. These warships were bigger than the sail ships, and paddle boats, but the steam engine powered warships were slower than many sail ships. The steam engine warships did not require the wind to travel, but unfortunately, they were limited in speed because of their massive size. The warships were able to use the wind to push their sails or their steam powered engines.
Steam engine helped in factories, and did not require water power. . “Now they didn’t need to be close to a river (Marjorie 2015).” Before the steam engine, factories were built close to rivers or lakes. Factories used rivers, lakes and canals where the only ways that power could be accessed. As a result of the improvement to the steam engine and the wide array of usage, factories, mills and cities were able to be built all over the country.
On the other hand, while the steam engine had many positive effects on factories and cities, there were many negative effects as well. The steam engine contributed to large air and water pollution and child labor. “Polluted rivers and smoke-filled air began to dominate cities, which in turn created poor living and working conditions that gave rise to socialism (Bronte 2015).” The pollution from factories and steam locomotives had a big range which made poor working and living conditions.
“Children had to work long hours, were worked very hard, had little time for breaks, and had little, if any, time for school (Bronte 2015).” Steam locomotives had high prices which caused children and parents to work as much as they could to gain money. Pollution and child labor was a big problem created by the revolutionizing of the steam engine. The usage of the steam engine in the factories contributed to societal issues in the early stages of civilization but the benefits to factories and cities in Great Britain far outweighed the negative.
During the 1800’s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, Great Britain was able to become a very powerful influential leader in technology and trade with other countries. Britain was able to gain more money from other countries because of all the vehicles being created. Subsequently, Great Britain had new vehicles that no other country had and countries consistently traded with Britain for higher prices. Steam boats were used more than sail boats because they could carry more goods and merchandise was able to travel further without being damaged. Steam engines were instrumental in inspiring the Industrial Revolution and improving the global economy. As a result, the steam engine was able to help to transport goods farther places faster.
In conclusion, the steam engine was a very important invention in the 19th century. Steam power was a power source that people tried to use since the ancient Greek times. There were bad and aspects of the creation such as pollution and child labor started becoming common from the factories that used steam power. However the positive aspects such as it created new ways to travel, revolutionized military war vehicles, made transporting goods easier and quicker, and factories started being created. The role of transportation in people’s lives began to change when James Watt made improvements to the steam engine that was initially invented by Thomas Newcomen. After the steam engine was enhanced, people used steam cars, steam trains, and steam boats (Transportation in the 1800s 2003). Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine was the precedent for James Watt’s steam engine which propelled a revolution during the 19th century. James Watt’s technological enhancements to the steam engine ignited The Industrial revolution and changed America forever.
Rahsaan Simpson
In the early 19th century, there were limited ways for people to travel. People used railroads, steamboats, or horse-drawn wagons for transportation. In addition to transportation, the steam engine was used for pumping water. James Watt’s steam engine was used to improve military vehicles, and it assisted with providing energy as a power source to factories. James Watt’s improvements to Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine later led to better improvements of this invention changeing the world by improving local transportation, military war vehicles, factories, and boosted the economy during the 19th century.
James Watt’s is historically credited as the inventor of the steam engine. He is given this honor because he made the best steam engine that helped jumpstart the Industrial Revolution, but there were actually more inventors before him. “During the first century Greek engineer, Hero of Alexandria, designs the first steam engine; it has a pedestal, an altar, and a rotating ball -- but no practical use (Green 2012).” There were many other inventors that attempted to improve the steam engine before James Watt, but they were unsuccessful. James Watt decided to enhance the steam engine based on Thomas Newcomen’s design. “The man who vastly improved the Newcomen steam engine and made it effective enough to propel the Industrial Revolution in its early stages was James Watt (1763-1819) (Gopalakrishanan 2009).” James Watt’s technological enhancements to the steam engine ignited The Industrial revolution and changed America forever.
Thomas Newcomen was a blacksmith from Dartmouth England and in 1712, he invented a steam engine known as the “Atmospheric Steam Engine.” “Inventors, Edward Somerset of Worcester, Thomas Savery, and John Desaguliers, were researching the technology before Thomas Newcomen began his experiments, and their research inspired inventors Thomas Newcomen and James Watt to invent practical and useful steam-powered machines (Bellis 2015).” The steam engine by Newcomen was not very successful in the late 1700’s because it was unable to generate enough power to power vehicles and factories. “James Watt’s steam engine was smaller. (Rackliffe 2015). It also used less coal to run and provide much more power (Rackliffe 2015).” Newcomen’s invention also required more coal than James Watt’s steam engine. The first designed atmospheric steam engine was not highly efficient but improvements were made which helped pave the way for bigger and more effective steam engines in later years.
Once the steam engine was improved, people began using it locally to travel. Steam engines were used in steamboats, and steam trains. The most common type of transportation for people was cars powered by a steam engine. “During the 1890’s, 100 different companies were making steam-powered automobiles (Transportation in the 1800s 2003).” When the steam engines started becoming popular everyone tried to make new ways to travel. There were many more efforts to create vehicles before James Watt’s steam engine but none of the vehicles were effective. “Sixteen hundred years after the ancient Greek scientist first made mention of the untapped power of steam, the technology would become the hero and the engine that drove the Industrial Revolution (Whipps 2015).” Hero of Alexandria was the first one to use steam power but its usage was limited because the technology was too primitive. “The first vehicle to move under its own power the Cugnot Steam Trolley…. The machine needed to stop every 15 minutes to build power, and on its first trip around Paris in 1770, it crashes into a wall (Amanda 2012).”
The first machine to move by its self was unsuccessful because it had to gain power every 15 minutes and it traveled 2 ½ mph. Steam locomotives made it possible to transport goods farther and faster to other countries. “Ships and trains powered by steam moved manufactured goods and people from place to place quickly and more efficiently (Cummins, Media 2001-2015).” Before the steam engine people had to walk to transport goods but they could not go far without getting tired. Horses were not as fast as steam locomotives and horses could not travel far without getting tired. Consequently, before the invention of the steam engine the only way people could travel was by horse, foot and boat.
The steam engine led to vast improvements in military war vehicles. After James Watt introduced his steam engine to the world in the early 1800’s, Robert Fulton used the same technology to create the most durable warships. The steam powered warships provided the most protection but took a long time to become popular because they were extremely slow. However, the steam warship was a big help to the United States military who used the first steam powered warship. “Steam warships were slow to catch on, but by the late 1850s, all new warships by the Navy featured steam engines (Bailey 2014).” Sail ships, the most common boats before, the steam engine were faster but they were weaker because it was being pushed by the wind only. These warships were bigger than the sail ships, and paddle boats, but the steam engine powered warships were slower than many sail ships. The steam engine warships did not require the wind to travel, but unfortunately, they were limited in speed because of their massive size. The warships were able to use the wind to push their sails or their steam powered engines.
Steam engine helped in factories, and did not require water power. . “Now they didn’t need to be close to a river (Marjorie 2015).” Before the steam engine, factories were built close to rivers or lakes. Factories used rivers, lakes and canals where the only ways that power could be accessed. As a result of the improvement to the steam engine and the wide array of usage, factories, mills and cities were able to be built all over the country.
On the other hand, while the steam engine had many positive effects on factories and cities, there were many negative effects as well. The steam engine contributed to large air and water pollution and child labor. “Polluted rivers and smoke-filled air began to dominate cities, which in turn created poor living and working conditions that gave rise to socialism (Bronte 2015).” The pollution from factories and steam locomotives had a big range which made poor working and living conditions.
“Children had to work long hours, were worked very hard, had little time for breaks, and had little, if any, time for school (Bronte 2015).” Steam locomotives had high prices which caused children and parents to work as much as they could to gain money. Pollution and child labor was a big problem created by the revolutionizing of the steam engine. The usage of the steam engine in the factories contributed to societal issues in the early stages of civilization but the benefits to factories and cities in Great Britain far outweighed the negative.
During the 1800’s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, Great Britain was able to become a very powerful influential leader in technology and trade with other countries. Britain was able to gain more money from other countries because of all the vehicles being created. Subsequently, Great Britain had new vehicles that no other country had and countries consistently traded with Britain for higher prices. Steam boats were used more than sail boats because they could carry more goods and merchandise was able to travel further without being damaged. Steam engines were instrumental in inspiring the Industrial Revolution and improving the global economy. As a result, the steam engine was able to help to transport goods farther places faster.
In conclusion, the steam engine was a very important invention in the 19th century. Steam power was a power source that people tried to use since the ancient Greek times. There were bad and aspects of the creation such as pollution and child labor started becoming common from the factories that used steam power. However the positive aspects such as it created new ways to travel, revolutionized military war vehicles, made transporting goods easier and quicker, and factories started being created. The role of transportation in people’s lives began to change when James Watt made improvements to the steam engine that was initially invented by Thomas Newcomen. After the steam engine was enhanced, people used steam cars, steam trains, and steam boats (Transportation in the 1800s 2003). Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine was the precedent for James Watt’s steam engine which propelled a revolution during the 19th century. James Watt’s technological enhancements to the steam engine ignited The Industrial revolution and changed America forever.
