In 1776, James Watt introduced a refined steam engine with a separate condenser, making it vastly more efficient than earlier models. This event is considered the primary catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. By allowing machines to be powered by coal rather than wind, water, or animal muscle, the steam engine liberated factories from their proximity to rivers and enabled mass production. It was soon adapted for use in trains (locomotives) and ships, revolutionizing transportation and trade. This transition from agrarian to industrial societies fundamentally altered human labor, urbanization, and the global environment, ushering in the modern era of technological dependence and fossil fuel consumption.