Explore NOVA Online's interactive steam engine and discover how this machine can convert heat to mechanical energy.

In short, readable paragraphs, students can easily follow the history of the invention of the steam engine.

Few inventions have affected human history as much as the steam engine. Without it, there would have been no locomotives, no steamers and no Industrial Revolution.

From the Smith College Museum of Ancient Inventions website. Description of Heron's invention of the aeolipile - a precursor to the steam engine. Includes a graphic depicting a replica of the device.

This complete chronology of steam power is designed in time line fashion. Next to each year is a detailed description of the invention. Another useful aspect of this site is the "Link to the decades," found at the top of the page. Each...

Through its engineering and design, Levi's Stadium has aimed to provide the best fan experience of all of the stadiums and has changed the dynamics of live sporting events.

An unsung jack-of-all-trades built America's first steam-powered boat, envisioning open access to the new nation's natural resources.

The Scottish instrument maker and inventor James Watt had a tremendous impact on the shape of modern society. His improvements to the steam engine were a significant factor in the Industrial Revolution, and when the Watt engine was...

Explains how the fusible plug in a steam engine works and why it is essential for safety reasons.

Learn about inventor and African-American slave, Benjamin Bradley, developer of a steam engine large enough to run the first steam-powered warship.

Use this resource to learn about the steam engine, Gov. Stanford, which was used in many roles on the Central Pacific Railroad line.

Due to recent advances in technology and engineering, new innovations in equipment are helping to support the game of football in every respect.

A versatile Revolutionary-era inventor looked for ways to improve and automate industry, and created an engine that would power hundreds of new businesses in the young nation.

This site provides information on American inventors Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, Eli Whitney, Thomas Jefferson, Isaac Singer, Wilbur Wright, Thomas Alva Edison, Elias Howe, and Alexander Graham Bell. It offers pictures from and...

This resource covers the changing of America due to the Industrial Revolution which brought in not only new technology but also opened the door to reform movements. From the series by Joy Hakim, "A History of Us." Includes a teacher's...

An overview of historians' views of the causes of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and of the inventions, inventors, and industries that propelled it.

This brief article on the life and contributions of George Westinghouse (1846-1914) includes a picture. Read about his air brake as well as his development of the alternating current system.

A short biography of Andrew Beard, whose invention improved the safety of railroads in the 19th century.

A fascinating encyclopedia article about Granville Woods, a black inventor,often referred to as the "black Edison."