Steam, Coal and the Mill

In the picture

1. 1Steam engine: burning coal boils water, and the steam drives a wheel that powers the whole mill
2. 2Spinning machines: one machine spins many threads at once, work that once took many people by hand
3. 3Factory chimney: smoke from burning the huge amounts of coal that fed the engines
4. 4Steam locomotive: an engine on iron rails pulling heavy loads of coal and cotton

Examples

• The cotton T-shirt you wear was spun and woven by machines, a method that began in mills like this one
• Trains and railway lines that still cross many countries today grew from the first steam railways of the 1820s and 1830s

Quiz: Steam, Coal and the Mill (Age 13)

1. 1

   What big change in where goods were made began in Britain around 1760?

   • Production moved from homes and workshops into factories
   • Production moved from towns out to farms in the countryside
   • Production moved from factories back into people’s homes
2. 2

   In a steam-powered mill, what was the burning coal used for?

   • Boiling water so the steam could drive a wheel that powered the mill
   • Keeping the factory warm so the workers could spin thread faster
   • Melting iron inside the mill to make new rails
3. 3

   Why did railways with steam locomotives matter so much to industry?

   • They let factories keep running without needing any coal
   • They carried mostly letters and passengers instead of heavy goods
   • They moved coal, raw materials and finished goods faster and further than horses

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This quiz is free there while the lesson is in the free week.