Why was Britain the first country to have an

industrial revolution?
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Timeline of British Industrial Development Why was Europe first?
What was the Industrial Revolution?
1733: John Kay's 'Flying Shuttle' invented; it increases the One question of interest to historians is why the industrial
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the speed of textile weaving machines revolution occurred in Europe and not in other parts of the
19th century where major changes in agriculture, 1767: James Hargreaves's 'Spinning Jenny' invented; it world in the 18th century, particularly China, India, and the
manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on greatly increases the output per person Middle East, or at other times like in Classical Antiquity or the
the socio-economic and cultural conditions starting in the 1769: Richard Arkwright's 'Water Frame' Middle Ages. Numerous factors have been suggested, including
United Kingdom, and then subsequently spreading throughout 1779: Samuel Crompton takes out a patent for spinning by education, technological changes (especially the Scientific
Europe, North America, and eventually the world. The onset of 'mule' Revolution in Europe), "modern" government, "modern" work
the Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in 1780s: 477 inventors' patents registered (in the 1710s there attitudes and culture.
human history. Almost every aspect of daily life was eventually had been only 38) Value of exports from Britain (mostly
influenced in some way, from where people lived and worked manufactured goods) top £10 million for the first time (in the Some historians such as David Landes and Max Weber credit
to how people viewed the world and their life expectations. 1700s they had been less than £5 million) the different belief systems in China and Europe with dictating
1782: James Watt's rotary steam-engine invented; it enabled where the revolution occurred. The religion and beliefs of
Starting in the later part of the 18th century there began a concentration of power away from fast-flowing streams and Europe were largely products of Judaeo-Christianity, and Greek
transition in parts of Great Britain's previously manual labour thus aided growth of industrial towns thought. Conversely, Chinese society was founded on men like
and draft-animal based economy towards machine-based 1783-4: Henry Cort's 'puddling' process allowed coal, rather Confucius, Mencius, Lao Tzu (Taoism), and Buddha
manufacturing. It started with the mechanisation of the textile than charcoal, to be the main fuel used in iron refining (Buddhism). Whereas the Europeans believed that the universe
industries, the development of iron-making techniques and the 1786: Edmund Cartwright's power loom invented; it was governed by rational and eternal laws, in the East it was
increased use of refined coal. Trade expansion was enabled by promises to increase speed of weaving, but is not widely more generally believed that the universe was in constant flux
the introduction of canals, improved roads and railways. The introduced to textile areas until 1820s and, for Buddhists and Taoists, not capable of being rationally
introduction of steam power fuelled primarily by coal, wider 1802: The value of exports of cotton goods exceeds those of understood.
utilisation of water wheels and powered machinery (mainly in woollen ones for the first time
textile manufacturing) underpinned the dramatic increases in Why Britain?
production capacity. The development of all-metal machine
tools in the first two decades of the 19th century enabled the Economic historians are agreed about very little in this area, but
manufacture of more production machines for manufacturing in on one point there is unanimity. No one reason by itself
other industries. The effects spread throughout Western Europe explains why Britain, a fairly remote group of islands in the
and North America during the 19th century, eventually north-west corner of Europe, became the world's first industrial
affecting most of the world, a process that continues as nation. We can, however, identify a number of factors that
industrialisation. The impact of this change on society was gave Britain an advantage.
enormous.
1. Geography: Britain is a small country with many
The period of time covered by the Industrial Revolution varies navigable rivers, good mineral deposits and relatively
with different historians. Eric Hobsbawm held that it 'broke out' few huge natural obstacles to movement of trade and
in Britain in the 1780s and was not fully felt until the 1830s or people. Water power, crucial for technological
1840s, while T. S. Ashton held that it occurred roughly development, is abundant.
between 1760 and 1830. Other historians such as John
Clapham and Nicholas Crafts have argued that the process of 2. Diversity: Britain has a diverse climate, enabling
economic and social change took place gradually and the term good-quality wheat to be grown in the south and east
revolution is not a true description of what took place. This is and animals to be nourished in lush western pastures.
still a subject of debate among historians. Diversity aids growing specialisation in agriculture,
(above) Hargreaves's 'Spinning Jenny' enabled a single worker to while Lancashire's famously mild and wet climate was
operate eight or more spools at once
conducive to the processing of raw cotton.
3. Earlier economic development: The eighteenth 8. Britain's advantage as a Protestant country: This
century had seen remarkable advances in both trade and explanation has its origins in the views of the German
industry, resulting in rising incomes and the capacity sociologist Max Weber who argued that Protestant
for many people to consume manufactured goods. values and lifestyles were more conducive to thrift,
hard work and accumulations of money than were
4. Rising population growth: Britain's population Catholic ones.
almost doubled in the course of the eighteenth century
and the growth was most marked towards the end of the 9. Britain as an 'open society': Some social historians,
century. More people in society mean more notably Professor Harold Perkin, have laid particular
opportunities for production and consumption. stress upon the unique nature of British society. He
sees a relatively liberal society open to talent in which
5. The profitability of overseas trade and the the ablest can rise to wealth, influence and power.
advantage of empire: Britain had a healthy lead over Also Britain's aristocracy was not a closed caste;
European competitors in overseas trade, particularly in younger sons often married the heiresses of bankers
India and the Americas. Successes in war up to 1763 and overseas traders, while very successful
had extended this advantage. Success in war against entrepreneurs from humble backgrounds.
France reinforced it as every other major European
competitor had been economically damaged by war.
Activities
6. The role of government: After the Glorious
Revolution in 1688, Britain was relatively stable but i. Explain the view that ‘the Industrial
open to change. (see point 9) Strategic considerations revolution was much more than a
induced eighteenth-century governments to involve revolution in industry’.
themselves in wars which had substantial commercial
advantage. The frequent wars of the period 1689-1815 ii. Why do you think some historians have
gave periodic boosts to the iron industry because of the been unhappy to use the term
need for armaments. Soldiers also need uniforms, which ‘revolution’ for the industrial changes in
helps the textile industry. British governments nearly the late 18th and early 19th century?
always gave high priority to naval expenditure and a
fighting navy could form useful protection for overseas iii. What reasons have been suggested to
traders. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth explain why Europe was the first
centuries, furthermore, governments were less and less continent to industrialise? Why is it
likely to uphold apprenticeship regulations and other impossible to’ know’ for certain why
feudal restrictions on the free movement of labour. Europe was first?

7. Britain as an inventive society: Britain generated a iv. This worksheet suggests nine different
huge number of innovative ideas during the eighteenth reasons why the industrial revolution
century. The famous industrial innovations - the Water occurred first in Britain. Can you
Frame, Power Loom and the rest - were symptomatic of combine and reorganise the reasons into
a much wider commitment to experiment, from which no more than five factors? For each
society benefited. Also new institutions, such as the factor make a big point, explain it and
Royal Society of Arts (1754), promoted innovation and give an example. (PEE)
diffusion of scientific and technological ideas. The
development of transport networks helped to spread v. In your view, which is the most
such ideas in the second half of the century. So did the persuasive explanation for why Britain
increased availability of newspapers and magazines. industrialised first?
Provincial newspapers had begun to appear in England
at the beginning of the eighteenth century. RJ-N 130410