Steam is heated water vapor, and by placing it into a confined space, it creates a vacuum. Depending on the amount of steam, this vacuum pressure can be cultivated to push or pull items to create mechanical energy.
This steam-powered energy was placed into an engine for trains, using steam to push pistons in and out of cylinders to make the engine function. Steaming paddle boats were also born out of the invention of the steam engine and the subsequent Industrial Revolution. Currently, steam engines are mainly used for electricity generation in nuclear- and coal-fueled power plants.
In particular, the contribution of the steam engine allowed the United States to expand across the land more quickly and with greater ease. People, as well as cargo, could go farther distances in less time with the advent of steam engines.
