STEAM ENGINE
Although the very first steam engine was developed over fifty years before the industrial revolution, inmprovements and revisions of this invention had a massive impact on the Industrial Revolution.
The first steam engine was developed by Thomas Savery, of Great Britain, in 1698. This steam engine only pumped water, and was not very practical. This idea was improved upon in 1712 by Thomas Newcomen. His created utilized a cylinder and a piston to, like Thomas Savery's invention, pump water. This was used in coal mines. James Watt, from Scotland, improved on these designs to lay the groundwork for modern steam engines. His design incorpated gears and even a crankshaft.
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