Question

Why did the instrial revolution began first in england? when did it begindu?

Answer 1

Originally Answered: Why did the industrial Revolution occur in Britain, rather than elsewhere in Europe?

Many parts of Europe had some of the factors listed here. But the key is that Britain had all these factors simultaneously, and it is their simultaneous presence that made the industrial Revolution possible.

Agricultural revolution: the enclosure system made production of wool more efficient and profitable. There was also a revolution in crop production. New crops and new systems of crop rotation made farming more efficient and produced more food. The combination of these efficiencies meant more food for market, more food for workers (so we are less reliant on subsistence farming) and there were more labourers available to work in factories.The prescence of coal and iron. Coal was used to create steam which powered the engines in factories. Iron was processed into steel, a lighter and more pliant metal. This led to the creation of metal wares for consumption.Internal peace. The Brits were able to keep rebellion at bay (at least in the Motherland!) This was an important factor as other European countries were often plagued by war or (in France’s case) Revolution. Britain also had a system of rights and a good legal system that facilitated business and development.An excellent education system.A colonial empire. The colonies provided raw materials and markets for products.The Bank of England, which underwrote investments, making them less risky. This encouraged trade.The rise of consumption. Before the Revolution, Brits were generally subsistence farmers or workers. They worked only enough to survive, and when they had all that they needed, they stopped working. They tended to produce their own goods, buy from their neighbours or local craftsmen. With global trade and the rise of the putting out system that sped up production, new products became available that gave workers an incentive to work longer. So instead of just working for one’s daily bread, one would want to work for the extras: better clothing, tobacco, tea, pottery, and other goods that made life easier and more pleasant. This created a market for goods that was in turn exploited by entrepreneurs and investors.Technical innovation. From 1660–1760, Britain produced about 200 patents. Between 1760 and 1790 it was about 1000 patents. There was a cultural of technical innovation that led to efficiencies in production.The population increase: as mortality declined, the population grew faster than ever before, providing markets and labourers for the new system.Britain’s excellent transportation system. England began paving roads in the late 17th century. The Bridgewater canal was developed in the late 18th century. It was essentially like a tall gutter or Roman aqueduct, except that it was big enough to accommodate barges, and a person or pack animal would drag the barge alonside. This meant that transportation was no longer limited to already existing waterways. There were also traditional canals as well. There was no internal regional trade barriers, so trade could move freely. Compare this situation with France where internal tariffs existed.

There are probably other factors, but these are the main ones I could think of. As with many issues in history, it was a chicken-and-egg scenario, because it’s hard to pinpoint which came first— Did the agricultural revolution produce more people, or did more people produce an agricultural revolution? All these developments were simultaneous and reinforced one another.

And to re-cap: other countries in Europe lacked at least a couple of these important factors. It’s not that they couldn’t have industrialized, it’s that the factors required didn’t come together



it begun at 18th century