CAUSES OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
The Industrial Revolution first began in Britain in the 18th century but soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Historians have identified several causes for the Industrial Revolution, including: the emergence of capitalism, European imperialism, efforts to mine coal, and the effects of the Agricultural Revolution.
Capitalism was a central component necessary for the rise of industrialization. Historians refer to the form of capitalism common during the Industrial Revolution as laissez-faire capitalism. Often, laissez-faire hat were used in trains, ships and all other sorts of machinery. Not only did Britain have large supplies of the resource, but it was also easily obtainable. Unlike other European nations, coal in Britain was relatively close to the surface and was therefore relatively easy for miners to find and extract it. The mining of coal became even easier after the invention of the steam engine by Thomas Newcomen, which was originally used to pump water out of coal mines.
The final cause of the Industrial Revolution was the effects created by the Agricultural Revolution. As previously stated, the Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the 18th century due in part to an increase in food production, which was the key outcome of the Agricultural Revolution. As such, the Agricultural Revolution is considered to have begun in the 17th century and continued throughout the centuries that followed, alongside the Industrial Revolution. In general, the Agricultural Revolution involved new farming techniques, the use of machinery in farming, and the increase of private land ownership. For example, Charles Townshend introduced the concept of crop rotation which allowed British farmers to produce more food faster. This led to a dramatic increase in the population of the country which in-turn created a large workforce for the factories and mines. Also, Jethro Tull invented the seed drill which allowed farmers to plant crops faster and in straight rows. This also led to an increase in food production, while also allowing the same amount of work to be done by less people. Therefore, people were able to leave the farms and move to the towns and cities where factories and mines were being established. Finally, the Enclosure Movement in Britain led to increased private ownership of farms, and forced smaller farmers off of their traditional land. This caused a mass migration of farmers to the town and cities in search of work. As a result, this created a large workforce that factory and mine owners could then exploit. In all, the Agricultural Revolution was an important cause of the Industrial Revolution. The Agricultural Revolution took place in Britain in the 1700s and involved inventions and innovations that led to an increase in food production. As stated previously, the increased food production allowed Britain’s population to also increase which benefitted the Industrial Revolution in two ways. First, the increased population helped produce workers for the factories and mines that were so important to the Industrial Revolution. Second, the larger population created a market for goods to sold to which helped the owners of the factories to make a profit off of the sale of their goods.
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Charles Townshend
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Jethro Tull
In conclusion, there are several main causes of the Industrial Revolution. The first main cause was the emergence of capitalism as an economic theory, since it helped wealthy individuals to start their own businesses. The next major cause was the expansion of European imperialism around the world. By taking over other areas of the world, European countries gained access to important resources and created large markets in which they could sell goods produced in their factories. Finally, the last cause of the Industrial Revolution was the effects of the Agricultural Revolution. The revolution led to an increase in food production and helped increase the population on European societies. As a result, this created a large
