The 19th century transition to coal in Britain was thought to be driven by a lack of sites for water wheels but there were plenty of spots left – instead, drought may have made water flow less consistent and reliable than coal
A water wheel in Derbyshire, England
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Reconstructions of streamflow in 19th century Britain suggest industrialists could have continued using water to power their factories, even as they began to switch to coal-powered steam engines.
Historians battle over the precise timing of the transition in Britain from an agrarian economy powered by muscle, wood and water to a manufacturing economy powered by coal. They also disagree about the causes of this industrial revolution, which is among the most consequential developments in history.
One cause proposed by historians is that industrialists ran out …