Many different inventions were made before, during, and after the Industrial Revolution. These inventions helped to shape the world, as we know it. One invention made during the Industrial Revolution was the steam engine. The steam engine is often cited as the most important invention because it was used for its power in many other significant inventions. A steam engine is a heat engine that performs tasks using steam as its fuel. The steam engine led humanity to advance and develop in many ways and led us to where we are now. The steam engine was the most consequential invention in the Industrial Revolution as it led to an ever-long-lasting impact on society and transformed industries such as textiles, transportation, and mining. A steam …show more content…
You can find the steam engine in most of the machines in factories during the Industrial Revolution. Without its creation, industries would not run how they did at the time and the industrial Revolution would not have advanced as it did without it. One industry that was greatly impacted was the coal industry. The coal industry saw a major boost in production during the Industrial Revolution as many machinery and factors relied heavily on coal. The working conditions in the coal mines are some of the most dangerous jobs out there. In 1850, Britain produced 10 times the 5.2 million tons of coal per year in 1750 (Letters and the Lamp). The steam engine needed coal to run, and these engines gave way to deeper mining and greater coal production. This made fuel and steam cheaper and gave way to more demand for it. Steam engines were also used in the textile industry. Used to provide power to mills and other factories, the steam engine revolutionized the production process. Large amounts of produced products were cheaper and easier to make due to implementing the steam engine in machinery. The steam engine increased efficiency and output, leading to more factories and mass production. The steam engine transformed not only these two industries, but many more, into a major economic force during the Industrial Revolution. Yet the steam engine not only transformed industries, but it also …show more content…
The steam engine was also one of the main causes of growing urbanization during the Industrial Revolution. While previously almost everything was made and done by hand, the steam engine was able to take away harder, more demanding parts of the job. An easier way of life for workers started once factories used steam engines. Products are produced at a faster rate and of better quality. This led to lower costs and made goods more affordable and accessible to consumers. With the invention of the steam locomotive, transportation of goods also increased. Travel is faster, safer and more accessible. Transportation also plays a huge part in the development of cities and urbanization. After Hebald, Redding, and Sturm analyzed more than a century of London’s demographics, commercial, and residential development. They found that the steam engine and rail network might have been the biggest factor in London’s growth (Chicago Booth Review). This might be because the increased accessibility to goods and job opportunities attracted people. We can see the steam engine playing a major role in shaping society, as it was present in many different areas of the Industrial