The Industrial Revolution: Objectives Learn the causes and consequences of the industrial revolution To place the European Industrial revolution in a global context Examine why Britain “took off” first Positive and negative effects must be examined Industrial strength led to economic domination and economic imperialism over non-industrialized neighbors and trade partners

Significance of the Industrial Revolution Gandhi (an Indian independence leader) criticized the industrial revolution as exploitation on a large scale. Few have agreed with this. Since the industrial revolution started in Great Britain in the late 18th century, every society has embraced at least the ideas that industrialization is progress Most significant of many developments leading to modern Europe Period from 1750 to 1900 saw utter transformation of European economies, landscapes, values, and expectations Global dominance for Europe; a most fundamental change in human ways of living

How It Came About Europe was undergoing energy and population crises in the mid 18th century Began development of non-renewable energy sources such as coal Impact on environment: changed landscape through mining; created new styles of waste products such as industrial output; coal smoke polluted the air; some people were opposed to this. But, the majority of people who had a say were not The industrial revolution increased output of goods and services by 50 times Great Britain from 1750 to1900

How it came about Introduces a culture of innovation Prior to 1800 Eurasian societies were technologically equal; after 1800 this changed drastically Most important tech breakthrough in early IR is the steam engine Starting with the textile industry, the application of steam spread to transportation, other industrial processes, and agriculture Movement of goods sped up; more were created; prices fell; and more could enjoy them Britain to Western Europe to the United States to Russia and Japan by 1900

Why did this happen in Europe? There is no agreement among historians, economists, or social theorists about by industrialization appeared in Britain when it did Perhaps there was some unique feature of that European society that explain it This view has been challenged but not disproved as we know technology and science have flourished in other areas, that Europe so far as we know had no prior claim to economic advantage, and that industrial society has spread world wide in the time since. However, none of these addresses the issue of why Britain? Why Europe?

Why Britain, why Europe? The industrial revolution is seen today as an unexpected eruption of change in a relatively short period of time. This is one way of saying “we don’t know why” So why? Some patterns of internal European development favored innovation such as plentiful resources of fuel, a workforce begin pushed out of agriculture, an upper class with money and investment methods useful to large scale industries European rulers, more than others, has close and necessary connections to merchant classes