How did the steam engine contribute to the 'Great Divergence' between the West and the rest of the world?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: By providing a massive increase in available energy per capita
The steam engine allowed for the exploitation of fossil fuels on an unprecedented scale. This gave industrializing nations a massive advantage in productivity, military power, and economic growth compared to non-industrialized societies.
Keep practicing
More Steam Engine questions
- In a 'double-acting' steam engine, how is the steam applied?
- What was the primary purpose of the earliest steam engines developed by Thomas Newcomen in the early 1700s?
- Which critical innovation did James Watt add to the steam engine to drastically improve its fuel efficiency?
- In the context of the Industrial Revolution, what does the 'sun and planet' gear system enable a steam engine to do?
- The development of 'high-pressure' steam engines, which were small enough for locomotives, is primarily credited to which engineer?
- Which partnership provided the financial capital and manufacturing facilities necessary for James Watt to bring his engine to market?