5.5 Industrial Revolution Begins

Why Britain First?

The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain around 1750–1900 due to unique advantages: abundant coal and iron, access to capital from overseas trade and colonies, a stable government protecting property rights, a large labor supply from enclosure (pushing farmers off land), navigable rivers/canals, and a growing entrepreneurial class willing to invest in new technology.

Key Innovations Powering Change

The steam engine (improved by James Watt) revolutionized production by powering factories, freeing industry from dependence on rivers for water power. New technologies like the spinning jenny and power loom mechanized textile production. Steam engines also transformed transportation, driving railroads and steamships, connecting raw materials, factories, and markets faster than ever before.

From Cottage to Factory

Industrialization shifted production from the home-based cottage industry/putting-out system to centralized factories, where machines and wage laborers produced goods faster and cheaper. This created new urban centers as workers migrated to cities for factory jobs, laying the foundation for dramatic social and economic transformations covered in later topics.

Key terms

Why did the Industrial Revolution start in Britain?

Coal/iron resources, capital from trade, stable government, labor from enclosure, and entrepreneurship.

Steam engine

Improved by James Watt; powered factories and transportation, freeing industry from water power.

Enclosure

Process of consolidating common farmland into private plots, displacing peasants who moved to cities for work.

Putting-out system (cottage industry)

Home-based production system where families made goods, later replaced by centralized factories.

Factory system

Centralized production using machines and wage labor, replacing home-based cottage industry.

Try an AP-style question

The Industrial Revolution began in…

1. France
2. China
3. the United States
4. Great Britain