Overview
The most important machine produced during the Industrial Revolution of the 1700's and early 1800's was the steam engine. The development of the steam engine made modern industry possible. James Watt's engine design was the first engine design that made steam power practicable.
Crude steam engines were used before Watt's time, but they burned large amounts of coal and produced little power. Their reciprocating (back-and-forth) motion restricted their use to operating pumps. Watt made steam engines more efficient by inventing the separate condenser. This device changed steam back into water by cooling. Watt's later improvements made possible the wide application of steam engines, contributing much to the growth of modern industry.