By Jeremy Lane In Eugene Ferguson’s article, he explains that, while James Watt made significant improvements on the steam engine, it was Thomas Newcomen that was the creator of the original steam engine. So while most people might give Watt all the credit, Ferguson does his best to show that Newcomen made just as significant contributions …
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When thinking of the creator of the steam engine or who started the industrial revolution many people think of James Watt. However, fifty years before Watt became popular in the public eye a man named Thomas Newcomen was building steam engines which pumped water out of mines. Before Newcomen began work on his engine there …
Continue reading “Summary of “The Origins of the Steam Engine” by Ferguson”
In Matthew Boulton’s letter to Erasmus Darwin, Boulton discusses how the B & W steam engines differ from Newcomins engines. Later he states how the B & W engines have been improved upon. Boulton begins his argument by writing how the two engines are different from each other. The way that the B & W …
In this letter from Matthew Boulton to Erasmus Darwin, Boulton describes the differences between the B&W steam engines and the earlier Newcomens engines. Instead of boasting about the success of the B&W engine, he prefaces his description by stating that the letter is simply a factual list and can be interpreted however Darwin pleases. Boulton…
In this letter from Matthew Boulton to Erasmus Darwin, Boulton describes the differences between the B&W steam engines and the earlier Newcomens engines. Instead of boasting about the success of the B&W engine, he prefaces his description by stating that the letter is simply a factual list and can be interpreted however Darwin pleases. Boulton …
Continue reading “Steam Engine Development II – Boulton Letter”
The development of iron in the late 1600s to the early 1700s saw a series of changes, that resulted from the development of new types of fuels, and from the development of new types of iron. Initially, iron was smelted by using charcoal that was made from burning trees; however, this timber was needed for …
The steam engine is an innovation that had lasting effects on the industrial revolution in Britain and the modern era. Utilizing the properties of steam, thermal energy could be converted to work in a system. However, it is important to consider how this idea resulted in what we all think about today: the Watt engine. […]
One of the most popular and heavily discussed historic inventions was the steam engine. However, the invention of the steam engine is mistakenly credited to James Watt. In reality, the development of the steam engine took place over many years and was approached by many people. Thomas Survey and Thomas Newcomen are two examples of …
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