Among the Western European countries in the 18th century, Britain was the ideal incubator for the Industrial Revolution because an "Agricultural Revolution" preceded it. Coal was a natural resource that was used for energy; iron was used for building the new machines. They also had surplus labor, which gave jobs to farmers, because of the Agricultural Revolution, which led to farmers losing their jobs. Britain had also had a lot of infrastructure, such as laws and in stable government, which helped with industrialization. Roads, ports and bridges played an important role in developing an industrialized nation. The significance of the Industrial Revolution starting in Britain is that once it got under way, it triggered a chain reaction that caused a change of economic and social changes that affected the way people lived. In the end, Britain industrialized first because of natural resources, ready workforce, prosperous economy, availability of capital and demand and a stable government.



During the 1700’s, trade from a growing overseas empire helped the British economy grow and develop. The slave and cotton trade created business class accumulated capital, which is the money used to invest in enterprises. Enterprises are small business organizations in an area such as shipping, mining, or rail roads. Capitalists invested their own money and received interest in return, which is the cost of borrowing money. Many business men risked their money or capital in new ventures due to the uprising economy in Britain. Entrepreneurs managed and assumed the financial risks of starting new businesses. Other countries in Europe were not able to have the prospering economy like Britain because they did not have a stable government. The navy protected its empire and the trade that took place overseas, which created diversity and diffusion in Europe. Natural ports and navigable rivers created easy transportation during trading.



Unique economic conditions In Britain were critical in industrial development. During the 1600’s cotton cloth imported from India became popular. The guild system gave way to the putting- out system. The guild system consisted of the craftsperson owning the product and materials. The merchant with the money brought the cloth to a skilled craftsman who dyed the cloth and made it able for the merchant to make a profit. The merchants who were not nobility, but they developed the putting-out system, which is also known as the cottage industry. In this industry raw cotton was distributed to peasant families who spun it into thread and then wove the thread into cloth in their own homes. The putting- out system was very slow and as demand grew, reform was necessary. John Kay’s flying shuttle enabled weavers to work so fast that they soon outpaced spinners. James Hargreaves solved that problem by producing the spinning jenny in 1764 which spun many threats at the same time. The patented water frame could be powered by water from the rivers. There were problems in America at the time because they were not sure how to keep up with England in the cottage industry. Cotton production increased exponentially when Eli Whitney created the cotton grin which separated seeds from the raw cotton. Spinners and weavers now came each day to work in these first factories which brought together workers and machines to produce large quantities of goods.



As production increased, entrepreneurs needed faster and cheaper methods of moving goods from place to place. Britain was able to establish communications and transport relatively cheaply due to its easy accessibility to the sea. The rivers supplied water power and allowed the canals to be built. Canals increased accessibility for trade and were crucial in the process of bringing goods to markets. Capitalists invested in turnpikes, or private roads built by entrepreneurs who cared travelers a toll, or fee, to use them. Turnpikes linked every part of Britain and created goods traveling faster. Canals connected inland towns with coastal ports and stronger bridges and harbors were created to help the expanding overseas trade. Entrepreneurs created canals for profit and not all canals that were built had enough traffic to support them. Therefore, bankruptcy occurred and canals lost their important as steam locomotives made railroads the new preferred form of transportation. The invention of the steam locomotive made the growth of railroads possible which meant that tracks could go places where rivers did not. This allowed factory owners and merchants to ship goods smoothly and cheaply over land. Britain had all the resources to succeed with a thriving economy, easy transportation, easy access to trade, and anew machinery that created a better way of living for the people in Britain.



Social and religious factors in Britain allowed for the growth of industry. Meanwhile, rich landowners pushed ahead with enclosure which is the process of taking over and consolidating land formerly shared by peasant’s farmers. The British Parliament facilitated enclosures through legislation. Profits rose because large fields needed fewer workers. Many farm laborers were thrown out of work, and small farmers were thrown off their land because they could not compete with large landholders. They formed a growing labor force that would soon tend to the machines of the Industrial Revolution. Religious factors also played a large role within the growth of industry. The dissenters were free churchmen and did not sign loyalty oaths. They could not hold office, join army, and preach within 5 miles of a city because they were considered potentially dangerous revolutionary fanatics. They were allowed to go into industry, and they created magnificent universities in which the kids learned about entrepreneurship and real life situations. They moved into the manufacturing business without opposition and helped Britain succeed with their infrastructure.



Britain had all the resources to succeed and advantages to succeed such as a stable government that supported a growing economy, ready workforce, and plenty of natural resources that created easier transportation and the necessary materials to create strong tools and machines. There were many new inventions that changed Britain immensely such as the seed drill; steam engine, cotton grin, and water frame are some of the inventions that helped created transportation, trade and farming much easier. The Industrial Revolution created population growth, rural to urban migration and the growth of cities that made Britain’s economy prosper.