Why Great Britain?

Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Great Britain?

Industrialization

“….the process of converting (changing) a society and economy using large-scale manufacturing”

A switch away from an agricultural or feudal-based economy…a switch away from “handicrafts” (i.e. goods made in small quantities at home or in small businesses)

Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Innovative spirit

• If people can move-up in society, then they are motivated to work hard to make money– We call this “social mobility”

• Great Britain’s social structure allowed people to move up to higher classes if worked hard enough

Access to Ports

• Remember– Great Britain is an island!

Capitalist Spirit

• Adam Smith was British. What did he argue?– Capitalist ideals– Laissez-faire (“hands off’)

• Government keeps its hands off industry and private production

Fuel

• Coal reserves

• Coal reserves were located near ports, cities, and factories– meaning they could get that fuel where they needed it

In Britain coal mines were close to factories and cities.

In China coal mines were far from factories and cities.

How might history have been different if the closest sources of coal available to Britain were, say, in the Carpathian Mountains of southeastern Europe?