England's role in initiating the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution in England

The internationalized financial crisis is the main subject of any news report. Yet, one must not overlook other important events and coverage, such as technological breakthroughs. Information Technology and Communication represents a pivotal component of our contemporary society, with more and more developments being made on current basis. One could go as far as to wonder when and where did it all start. The most plausible answer is that it started in late eighteenth century, in Great Britain, under the generic name of the Industrial Revolution, which set the trend for developments, eventually leading to the current Technological Revolution. This report strives to explain the Industrial Revolution, in terms of its occurrence and manifestation in England, but also the national advantages which led the commencement of the Industrial Revolution in England.

The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution manifested in Europe throughout late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It commenced in Great Britain and its most simplistic explanation is that it represents the transition from manual labor to machine labor. In a more adequate formulation however, the Columbia Encyclopedia (2009) argues that the Industrial Revolution is a "term usually applied to the social and economic changes that mark the transition from a stable agricultural and commercial society to a modern industrial society relying on complex machinery rather than tools."

The debate on the selection of the actual term of revolution is still ongoing, with some parties arguing that its selection is appropriate due to the tremendous changes which occurred, whilst others believing that similar changes had also occurred in previous times (mostly throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries) and that the process was a gradual one, and as such does not call for the term of revolution, which implies rapidity. Whichever the stand taken, fact remains that it was throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that numerous developments were made; large factories were opened; populations migrated from rural sites to cities, machines were introduced into manufacturing and less emphasis was placed on agricultural operations -- which however increased their output due to the introduction of mechanized operations. All these changes are organized into what is today called the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution is not only one of the most important events in history due to its immediate impact, but also due to the effects we still feel today. For instance, the population's migration from rural to urban sites created a necessity for developed and structured cities, supported by strong municipal services. Then, it gave birth to employee-employer relations and set an interdependency that had not been felt by the pre-revolution individual. It also generated the need for legislation to regulate these relations, as well as any other business or manufacturing operations. Also, it created a context for the implementation of the laissez-faire principles, which were however gradually replaced with the modern day capitalist structures (the Columbia Encyclopedia, 2009).

4. English Advantages which Led to the Occurrence of the Industrial Revolution

It is generally accepted that the Industrial Revolution commenced in Great Britain. Yet, what is generally overlooked is the fact that similar processes of change were also present in other countries as well -- at lower degrees however, and with a less observable impact. What made it possible for England to be considered the home country of the Industrial Revolution is a combination of multiple factors and forces, which made the British context more prepared and more susceptible to embrace the Industrial Revolution.

Knowles shortly explains these advantages as given by the facts that Great Britain "had a ready command of capital, […] large and expanding markets, a free population, political security, a trading in large scale businesses for over-seas markets, ease of access to those markets through her geographical position and her shipping, while iron and coal fields provided her with the most valuable raw materials and motive power for machinery and for iron smelting" (p.15). The following paragraphs offer more details for some of these advantages.

Agriculture and productivity

Thomas Malthus was an economist who argued the scarcity of natural resources and forwarded restrictions on production and consumption. Unlike other states, Great Britain was beginning to renounce its implementation of the Malthusian principles and focused more on increasing production levels. The first effects were seen within the agricultural field, where productivity was increased through selective crops which enhanced the quality of the soil. Major soil improvement techniques, such as selective crops, were learned from the Dutch immigrants. Again, unlike other countries, England had opened its borders to immigration, meaning that it became increasingly able to absorb new knowledge and techniques. Another thing they did was to allow land and large farms to be owned by individuals. At a social level, the effects materialized in wealth accumulation for the few landowners, but raising levels of poverty for the many working the plantations. For the overall country however, it meant an incremental desire for high productivity levels and an openness to new techniques (Wallace, 1989).

The colonies and the British fleet

Aside the status and movements within agriculture, another major part was played by the colonies. Great Britain had numerous colonies across the globe, meaning that it enjoyed not only labor force, but also financial and material contributions. England had fought countless battles and with every victory, their prize was more land. Aided by its geographic position, Great Britain controlled the trade handled by its colonies. The most remarkable examples are offered by its colonies in North America, which, by 1780, were the recipients of half of the entire English exports. In the immediate aftermath however, Great Britain turned its attention to the colonies in South America and India and soon came to control these regions as well. The income generated by the trade allowed the country to form a strong fleet, "the largest merchant marine in the world as well as a navy to protect this merchant marine fleet. […] England shot to the forefront of the new capitalist economy primarily through its navy" (Hooker, 1999).

Politics

The political climate represents yet another advantage as to why the Industrial Revolution was welcomed in Great Britain. The authorities of the day implemented the principles of Adam Smith and strived to direct the national market towards freedom. In other words, the intervention of the authorities was limited, which created a liberalized market that welcomed innovation. Another useful set of policies revolved around the liberalization of the banking sector. With fewer restrictions imposed, the entrepreneurs and farmers of those days had an increased access to financial resources. "Unlike France, England had an effective central bank and well-developed credit market. The English government allowed the domestic economy to function with few restrictions and encouraged both technological change and a free market" (Kreis, 2006).

Geographic characteristics and infrastructure

A fourth set of advantages is constituted by the geographical features of Great Britain. On the one hand, there was the already mentioned insular positioning which allowed it increased trade and traveling abilities. Aside this however, England enjoyed an abundance of natural resources, mainly relative to minerals. The country possessed large quantities of iron ore and coal, both pivotal within manufacturing processes.

Returning to the actual geographic conditions, it is important to state that the small size of the country made it easy for the population to travel from one location to the other. It also reduced any dissatisfaction that could be manifested by foreign trade partners. Then, another geographic feature is that the country is crossed by numerous rivers. Capitalizing on the large reserves of iron ore, the English monarchy invested in developing the infrastructure and built numerous roads and bridges (Spielvogel, 2008). These also supported the emergence of the Industrial Revolution.

5. Conclusions

When contemplating about the technologic advancements which impact our every day lives, it would be interesting to know how it all started. The most likely explanation is that it was all somehow linked to the Industrial Revolution. This occurred in Europe throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and changed the world forever by generating a series of shifts, such as a migration from rural to urban sites, the creation of the organization or by emphasizing the need for production mechanisms, techniques and technologies.

The Industrial Revolution emerged within Great Britain sometime in the decade 1780 and was mostly observable at three levels -- the iron sector, the textile industry and the creation of the steam engine. These three developments were soon integrated within other sectors, where they found constant applicability and further sustained development. In terms of the actual features which made England the most adequate initial destination of the Industrial Revolution, these include a favorable political and economic climate, a focus on agriculture and productivity, a developed infrastructure, an abundance of natural resources, alongside with other geographic conditions, as well as the possession of a strong fleet.

References:

Hooker, R., 1999, the European Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, Washington State University, http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ENLIGHT/INDUSTRY.HTM last accessed on October 23, 2009

Knowles, L.C.A., the Industrial and Commercial Revolutions in Great Britain during the Nineteenth Century, Taylor and Francis, 2005

Kreis, S., the Origins of the Industrial Revolution in England, the History Guide, 2006, http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture17a.html last accessed on October 23, 2009

Musson, a.E., Robinson, E., 1969, Science and Technology in the Industrial Revolution, Manchester University Press ND

Spielvogel, J.J. Western Civilization: Alternate Volume: Since 1300, 7th Edition, Cengage Learning, 2008

Wallace, I., the Global Economic System, Routledge, 1989

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, Columbia University Press, 2009

Industrial Revolution, MSN Encarta, 2009, http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577952/Industrial_Revolution.html last accessed on October 23, 2009