James Watt avoided the use of high pressure steam because of safety concerns. Watt's design became synonymous with steam engines, due in no small part to his business partner, Matthew Boulton. The Watt steam engine, developed sporadically from 1763 to 1775, was an improvement on the design of the 1712 Newcomen steam engine and was a key point in the Industrial Revolution. read more
James Watt, (born January 19, 1736, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland—died August 25, 1819, Heathfield Hall, near Birmingham, Warwick, England), Scottish instrument maker and inventor whose steam engine contributed substantially to the Industrial Revolution. read more
The discovery that steam could be harnessed and made to work is not credited to James Watt since steam engines used to pump water out of mines in England existed when Watt was born. We do not know exactly who made that discovery, but we do know that the ancient Greeks had crude steam engines. read more