How Did Britain Contribute To The Industrial Revolution

From 1760 to about 1840 the world was transformed like never before. It was a period of fundamental changes in agriculture, textile and metal manufacture, transportation, economic policies, and social structure. Historians refer to these changes as the industrial revolution, a term that was first introduced in the 19th century by a British economic historian Arnold Toynbee. Although the term suggests radical and rapid economic change, the reality was much more gradual. The Industrial Revolution began in the United Kingdom in the late 18th century and spread throughout the world. In fact, Britain had great influence on China and the Ottoman Empire[1] without taking over direct rule. Meanwhile in India, Southeast Asia, and 60 percent of Africa,
First of all, Britain was a politically stable society and the world’s leading colonial power. Having colonies meant that Britain had a never ending supply of raw materials[3], as well as a marketplace for manufactured goods[4]. By the early 18th century, as Britain began to search for an alternative source of energy, they came across coal that they found near the surface of the earth. People began to construct coal mines but they were filled with water that had to be removed. This was when John Watt, a Scottish inventor, improved the steam engine designed earlier by an Englishman, Thomas Newcomen. There were other significant innovations, yet this steam engine proved to be most efficient and eventually widely used. It was put to other uses, such as the production of cotton, which was in great demand[5]. Textile industry dominated the industrial revolution in terms of employment, value of output, and capital invested. It was also the first industry to use modern production methods. Thus, soon after such technology was introduced to the textile industry, Britain outproduced India, the world’s leading producer of cotton cloth at that