3 ms·
I thought it all happened because of coal mining. Lumber was getting scarce and expensive in Britain so people started burning coal even though they didn’t have
by towaway15463 4y ago
I thought it all happened because of coal mining. Lumber was getting scarce and expensive in Britain so people started burning coal even though they didn’t have very good coal stoves at first. Demand for coal opened more coal mines. Mines need ground water to be pumped out of them. The first steam engine was a water pump run on coal because that was the cheapest fuel source. Better pumps => more coal => cheap energy => development of better machinery to use it => better pumps… There’s your virtuous cycle.
- Robotbeat 4y agoThat is a super common explanation, but doesn’t square with the fact that steam power was a complete side note of the first half of the First Industrial Revolution, which used water power almost exclusively (wind, animal power as well).
- kevin_thibedeau 4y agoWater power doesn't require advances in precision machinery.
- Robotbeat 4y agoIndeed, which is why water power was the main motive power for the FIRST industrial revolution which developed precision machining. Gotta bootstrap somehow.