The development of English machinery, and its effect on warfare, is an interesting story in itself. Journalist James Burke's television series Connections and The Day The Universe Changed made some interesting observations on various technological and scientific achievements that were going on through time, including many examples from the era, including the block-factory that was erected in 1800 at Portsmouth Dockyard to provide blocks for a sail-powered navy,which needed them by the thousands.

It was, of course, powered by Watt's improved steam engine; a worker fed a rough blank into his machine, which performed one specific operation, he passed the piece to the next man at the next machine, and so on down the line, until a finished block emerged at the end of the line ... "and it was the world's first..." quoth James Burke; they filmed the operation of some of the original machines from the era for the series.

Interestingly, had it not been for the northern hemisphere getting incredibly colder during the 13th century, there might never have been either the industrial or the French revolution. The steam engine was born from a need to pump water from Newcomen's coal mine, when they followed a seam under the sea-bed and water seeped in. Digging in the ground for coal for fuel had become necessary in England's now colder climate, especially once the forests became reserved for the needs of the Royal Navy.

The change in the weather affected how people lived, and worked, and related, and had an overall social impact that would be a factor in the development of the Enlightenment, which helped lead to the French Revolution, without which Napoleon couldn't have risen above the rank of Artillery Lieutenant ("Zis Corsican is not one of us, Monsieur").

Regards, John