Why Great Britain Led the Industrial Revolution

Why Great Britain Led the Industrial Revolution

1. Natural Resources

   • Coal, iron ore, etc.

2. Labour

   • Enclosure movement
   • Population continued to grow on the base of the 18th-century population explosion
   • Better forms of transportation (such as the railway) allowed people to migrate to the cities. . . by 1850, one-half of the population of England and Whales and one-quarter of the population of France and Germany had become town-dwellers

3. Capital

   • The Industrial Revolution carried a domino-like effect. With one advance came another, which led to another in turn.
   • Profit made in early industries (e.g. textile, iron-making, etc.) was reinvested

4. Markets

   • The end of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars opened the continent up to British products
   • The Latin-American wars of independence opened the markets of Central and South America
   • The United States and Canada demanded British products
   • Through its control of India, Britain commanded the markets of southern Asia

5. Transportation

   • Canals
   • Railways: 1830's and 1840's were the great ages of railroad construction

6. Entrepreneurship

   • Strong middle class
   • Adventurous, liberal nobles who were willing to invest in new ventures

7. Government Support

   • Strong navy to protect merchant ships
   • Commercially-minded Parliament
   • Few laws to limit what entrepreneurs could do