V I D E O T R A N S C R I P T S

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Over time, the Industrial Revolution changed how work was done. Great Britain led the way, sparked by the success of Watt’s steam engine in the late 1700s.

By the mid-1800s, British manufacturers far exceeded those of any other country. The pace of industrialization in Great Britain earned it the title “workshop of the world.” But why did the revolution start in this small, European island nation?

The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain centered on the textile industry. Manufacturing textiles was a complex, manual process. Workers had to clean and untangle cotton, wool, or other fibers. They also had to twist the fibers into thread and weave the thread into cloth.

The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution: Great Britain Leads the Way

V I D E O T R A N S C R I P T S

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In the mid-1700s, before a practical steam engine existed, inventors in Great Britain were already experimenting with ways to improve textile manufacturing. More sophisticated looms and a mechanical spinning jenny greatly increased production.

In 1769, Richard Arkwright, also from England, invented a way to use flowing water to turn a waterwheel, which could supply mechanical power to a textile mill. His machine ran on water-power, which was not suited for use in the home. Still, independent mills with multiple machines began sprouting up near streams and rivers throughout England.

Over time, steam engines replaced waterwheels, freeing owners to build factories away from sources of flowing water.

If the steam engine powered the Industrial Revo-lution, coal fueled it. Steam engines burned coal, lots of it. Coal was also used to convert iron into steel. Steel was harder, stronger, and more durable than iron. Deposits of coal were plentiful in Great Britain.

V I D E O T R A N S C R I P T S

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Great Britain also had plenty of wool. By the late 1700s, many of the nation’s farmers had turned to sheep herding to provide wool for the spinning and weaving trades.

By the late 1700s, Great Britain had a system of roads and bridges that could accommodate the regular transport of goods. Wagonloads of produce moved from the countryside to cities to feed the growing urban population. Manufactured goods traveled to distant markets, although at a fairly slow pace.

With industrialization came improvements in transportation technology. Steamboats carried cargo and hauled barges along a system of canals and rivers.

Steam locomotives crisscrossed the country on a complex network of rails. By 1852, Great Britain had laid some 7,000 miles of track. Railroads carried heavy loads of food and freight in a fast and reliable manner, helping create a national market for goods. The ability to manufacture a product in one location and sell it anywhere in the nation stimulated the economy.

V I D E O T R A N S C R I P T S

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The Industrial Revolution arose in an atmosphere of liberalism. Great Britain, with its liberal con-stitution, supported not only individual political freedom but also individual property rights and equality of opportunity.

These traits of British society encouraged entrepreneurs to take risks in pursuit of profit. Great Britain, the most powerful country in the world in the mid-1800s, also provided the politicalstability that fosters economic growth.

Industrialization steadily improved Great Britain’s economy. It increased the amount of goods produced and greatly raised worker produc-tivity, the amount of goods each worker produced on average. Wealth generated by industrialization enhanced the standard of living for many people. It also made more tax revenue available to the government. Great Britain showed off its industrial and financial prowess at the 1862 World’s Fair held in London.

Competing nations took notice and sought to develop their own industries. Generally, they adopted the elements of the British model that suited their circumstances. The Industrial Revolution began spreading throughout the world.