The Steam Engine

The steam engine was the invention which powered the industrial revolution. Thomas Newcomen and Thomas Savery were the first two creators of the first practical steam engine. James Watt is the one accredited with the invention, because he made the steam engine which actually was reliable and used in the industrial revolution. The invention was first used as a water pump to suck water out of coal mines, a resource which was greatly needed to power the industrial revolution. Then people modified the invention to work for the textile industry, and eventually almost every industry was using steam engines. The train was another invention which used the steam engine. It allowed for faster transportation for goods and people.

For more information on the steam engine go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engine

Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution played a key role in the evolution of our species. New technologies which required less man power, and a new way of life came from this advancement in society. The English were the first to make this giant leap, because they were basically better prepared. They had a stable government, and the second agricultural revolution had already affected them. Through new inventions in the textile industry and through the invention of the steam engine the British lead the way in this new era.

The rest of Europe which was constantly at war did not embrace this new revolution quickly. France was in its own political revolution, and other countries like Germany were still divided. The British had a sort of golden era which was short lived. America was quickly adopting the new ideas and technology of the industrial revolution. With vast resources, hard workers, and a free market the United States had it all. They became an industrialized nation, and later in 1900 they surpassed England in manufacturing.

This new era also saw a great change in the social aspect of life. People were now coming together in ever-growing cities, and workers now had to travel to work and earn their wage. In the beginning entire families and orphans worked at the factories, but after Government intervention only men and unmarried women worked in factories. This change saw the rise of the patriarchal family in which the father is the one that brings the meat to the table, and the mother is the one who takes care of the family.

Clearly the Industrial revolution had a great impact in modern day society. It influenced our way of life and how we make the goods which keep us alive. The patriarchal family arose, and new technologies which powered great industries made our world go round. Without the manifestation of this revolution our world would be much different today.