Inventors
James Watt
1736–1819 · Improver of the steam engine
Scotland / Birmingham
Newcomen already pumped mines. Watt’s separate condenser kept the cylinder hot and cut the coal bill. Partnership with Boulton turned a clever shop into a factory of engines. He did not invent steam. He made it cheap enough to unhook mills from rivers.

Why it mattered
- Turned a mine pump into industrial prime mover.
- Showed that efficiency is a design goal, not a side effect.


