The Industrial Revolution was a time when machines starting making goods. Before this revolution, textile were being woven by people, but now a machine would do it for them. It started in England during the 1700s. Soon it spread into Continental Europe and North America. With advancements in the textile industry, other industries started to improve as well. James Watt was a mathematical instrument maker. He worked at the University of Glasgow. He wanted to improve the steam engine. Watts goal was to find a way to make it use less fuel as well as run faster and more efficiently. In 1775, James Watt teamed up with an entrepreneur. “An entrepreneur is someone who organizes, manages, and takes on the risks of a business.” (Page 287) His name …show more content…
The steam engine greatly improved transportation in Europe. In 1774, James Watt improved the steam engine. He made it faster and more efficient. It also used less fuel. Robert Fulton, an inventor, ordered the steam engine from Watt. With the engine, Fulton built a steamboat. He named it the “Clermont.” The boat ferried people on the Hudson River. England as had improvements in their waterways. Steamboats were able to travel through canals transporting materials and goods. Steam also powered factories. A railroad locomotive, or a steam engine on wheels, was about to change a lot. An engineer named Richard Trevithick was able to haul ten tons of iron in a steam driven locomotive for ten miles. Trevithick inspired other engineers to make versions of locomotives. These inventions had major impacts. First, it was cheap for manufacturers to send materials and products. This helped industrial growth. Secondly, it boosted the economy because it provided thousands of jobs for both miners and railroad workers. Furthermore, it allowed other industries like the agricultural and fishing, to transport goods to cities that were farther away. Lastly, the railroad boom made it easier for people living out in the country to take inner city jobs. Without the steam engine, many factories and ways of transportation wouldn't