Mon Prof Augmenté
Coal, Steam and Factory Mills
Age 13 · History
Around 1760 in Britain, coal-fired steam engines began powering textile machines and iron furnaces. This drew many people into new industrial towns built around mills and canals.
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Age 13: open this week
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In the picture
- Steam engine flywheel: a wheel turned by steam that drives the mill belts.
- Spinning machine: a machine that twists cotton fibres into thread.
- Chimney: a tall shaft that carries smoke away from coal-fired boilers.
- Coal barge: a canal boat carrying fuel to the mill and ironworks.
- Iron furnace door: the opening of a furnace where iron ore is smelted into molten iron.
Examples
- A steam engine pushes like a kettle lifting its lid with steam, but that push turns a wheel.
- A canal barge moves heavy coal like a freight truck, but on water.
Key takeaways
- Coal and steam let machines do work that people or animals once did.
- Textile mills, ironworks, and canals pulled workers into fast-growing factory towns.
Quiz: Coal, Steam and Factory Mills (Age 13)
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According to the card, what did coal and steam let machines do?
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According to the card, what pulled workers into fast-growing factory towns?
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What did the spinning machine do?
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