The invention of the steam engine in 1698 by Thomas Savery (1650?-1715) was among the most important steps toward the modern industrial age, in which machine power replaced human or animal muscle-power. Savery's 1698 patent of his steam...

During the Industrial Revolution, steam power replaced water power and muscle power (which often came from horses) as the primary source of power in use in industry. Its first use was to pump water from mines. The early engines were not very efficient,...