Well, here I am in 1712 in England. There's a really loud noise over the hill. Let me go see what it is. Hmmm. Oh, I know what that is. It's the first atmospheric steam engine invented by Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729). They're pumping water with it. Engines like this and the one later invented by James Watt (1736-1790) helped bring about the Industrial Revolution. That's when they started making more and more things with machines instead of using people. The people had to work in factories instead of at home. Working in a factory is a little like running in my wheel. You stay in one place and do the same thing over and over again. I don't think I would have liked the Industrial Revolution.
