The Industrial Revolution (1750-1850)

An important invention of The Industrial Revolution, the steam-engine.


At the same time, railway trains and steamships were also invented.

The Industrial Revolution (1750-1850)


A revolution is a time of great change. The Industrial Revolution took place largely as a result of the setting up of factories and the invention of steam-power machines. In the steam engine, coal was burnt to change water into steam. The pressure from the steam provided energy for machines to produce goods in great quantities. The new inventions produced more cloth easily and at a faster rate in great quantities, as raw materials for the factories and new markets for the manufactured goods were needed. Therefore, the invention of steam-powered ships meant that ships could travel faster, at any time of the year, and over longer distances. These changes transformed the way people lived and worked.


The Industrial Revolution resulted in an increase in trade in Singapore. With the invention of the steamship, more Europeans could sail to the East to obtain raw materials and find markets for their goods. Therefore, more ships visited Singapore, and consequently there was growth in the volume of trade. The Revolution also enhanced Singapore’s role since the 1880s, as the Western steamships made Singapore their port-of-call, where their ships stopped to refuel, get new food supplies, sell their good and buy raw materials. Many Asian traders also used steamships to transport their goods between Singapore and other neighbouring ports. Thus, Singapore gained importance as a port for the collection of goods from the East and the distribution of manufactured goods from the West. In addition, Singapore came into closer contact with the world. Communications improved with the arrival of steamships. With a speedier delivery time for letters and documents, instead of taking months to arrive, now took just weeks.