Early Life

• James Watt was born in Greenock, Scotland on January 19, 1736, to a prosperous shipwright. He went to Glasgow to learn about making mathematical instruments, and by the age of 19 he had his own business. Watt continued to work for several years in this business, gaining a reputation as a high-quality engineer.
  
  

Initial Interest in Steam Engines

• In 1763, Watt was given a Newcomen steam engine to repair, a product of the English engineers Thomas Newcomen and Thomas Savery. It was used to pump water from mines, but Watt soon realized its inefficiency. He spent several months working to improve the engine, and he developed a separate condensing chamber to prevent loss of steam. This initial venture led to an eventual patent in 1769 and paved the way for future advancements in the steam engine.
  
  

Partnerships

• John Roebuck, a British inventor, partnered with and financed much of Watt's research in his early days. However, in 1775, after Roebuck went bankrupt, a British manufacturer named Matthew Boulton took interest in Watt. Soon, the two partnered together to manufacture steam engines. Their steam engines were four times more powerful than the Newcomen engine. Boulton & Watt became a prominent and crucial engineering firm, meeting the needs of mines, paper mills, cotton mills, canals, flour mills, distilleries and iron mills. In 1800, Watt retired from working with Boulton and devoted himself to research until his death.
  
  

Major Contributions

• Aside from his contributions to steam engines, Watt also invented the rotary engine, the double-action engine, the steam indicator, the centrifugal governor and an attachment for telescopes to measure distance. He also patented a design for a steam locomotive. He invented the term "horsepower," based on how many horses it would take to equal the productivity of his steam engines.
  
  

Significance

• While Watt did not invent the steam engine, his advancements in this field allowed for increased power and efficiency in the machines. The increased efficiency allowed for greater productivity, and Watt helped move Western society from an agricultural society to an industrial society. While few of Watt's original designs are used today, his efforts laid the groundwork for mechanical and technological advances for years to come. A unit of electrical and mechanical measurement, the watt, was also named in his honor.