Steam Power Technology's Impact On Society
Impact of Technology on Society
“The wonderful progress of the present century is, in a very great degree, due to the invention and improvement of the steam engine, and to the ingenious application of its power to kinds of work that formerly taxed the physical energies of the human race” (Thurston 2). Prior to the introduction and adoption of steam as a main power source, most laborious chores relied on worn horses and strained men. Thomas Newcomen and James Watt are two of the innovative engineers that vastly improved steam engine technology in the 18th century. Their contributions helped transform the steam engine into a principal power source; it was a radical change that initiated the Industrial Revolution. It would maximize production …show more content…
Initially, the Newcomen steam engine pumps withdrew tonnes of water from coal mines, yielding greater amounts of coal since they could mine deeper. This coal would be used to run the demanding British economy. After Watt improved upon the machine, the applications of steam powered machinery appeared in any type of factory imaginable. One of the primary uses was for the popular textile industry at the time. Around the start of the 19th century, the steam engine was implemented into locomotives and ships. It initiated the beginning of railroad travel that connected people like never before. These new modes of travel brought thousands upon thousands of people into the alluring promise of the cities. In addition, locomotives and steamboats were used to quickly transport raw material, produced goods, food, and imported goods. Earlier, the goods would only travel as far as the horse and carriage would go. Trains and boats created interconnected webs of communities and markets that would benefit all in a social and economical manner. Steam engines were used in agricultural machines which meant less manual work for the same amount of food. Eventually, gas engines were invented with respect to the design of the steam engine. With the gas engine, many other machines were imagined that drastically impacted the world: cars, planes, ships, trucks, and so on. When looking back to the roots of modern technology, one will always make their way back to the steam
“The wonderful progress of the present century is, in a very great degree, due to the invention and improvement of the steam engine, and to the ingenious application of its power to kinds of work that formerly taxed the physical energies of the human race” (Thurston 2). Prior to the introduction and adoption of steam as a main power source, most laborious chores relied on worn horses and strained men. Thomas Newcomen and James Watt are two of the innovative engineers that vastly improved steam engine technology in the 18th century. Their contributions helped transform the steam engine into a principal power source; it was a radical change that initiated the Industrial Revolution. It would maximize production …show more content…
Initially, the Newcomen steam engine pumps withdrew tonnes of water from coal mines, yielding greater amounts of coal since they could mine deeper. This coal would be used to run the demanding British economy. After Watt improved upon the machine, the applications of steam powered machinery appeared in any type of factory imaginable. One of the primary uses was for the popular textile industry at the time. Around the start of the 19th century, the steam engine was implemented into locomotives and ships. It initiated the beginning of railroad travel that connected people like never before. These new modes of travel brought thousands upon thousands of people into the alluring promise of the cities. In addition, locomotives and steamboats were used to quickly transport raw material, produced goods, food, and imported goods. Earlier, the goods would only travel as far as the horse and carriage would go. Trains and boats created interconnected webs of communities and markets that would benefit all in a social and economical manner. Steam engines were used in agricultural machines which meant less manual work for the same amount of food. Eventually, gas engines were invented with respect to the design of the steam engine. With the gas engine, many other machines were imagined that drastically impacted the world: cars, planes, ships, trucks, and so on. When looking back to the roots of modern technology, one will always make their way back to the steam