The late 1700'sand the 1800's were a period of great inventiveness, and each invention seemed to spur another. The invention of the spinning jenny and other spinning machines led to the production of more thread than weavers could handle. So larger and more powerful looms were invented. The invention of the steam engine spurred the development of the locomotive, and railroads soon became a major new industry.
The many new machines required a strong metal for their construction. The Bessemer process made possible the mass production of steel, giving rise to an industry rivaling railroads in size— the steel industry.
