How Did Slavery Affect The British Industrial Revolution?
Without Britain’s dependence on slave-holding colonies, neither the Industrial Revolution nor capitalism would have succeeded in Britain. Carter and Warren agree with Marks that the transatlantic network allowed Britain to escape the “biological old regime.” This system was responsible for supplying the resources necessary for the Revolution, along with creating a demand for manufactured goods. Burbank and Cooper also argue that due to Britain’s unique ability to connect its imperial colonies and their output to mainland Britain allowed capitalism to take hold in the industrial world. This is partially because Britain did not have to devote its land or labor to resource production over industry. Therefore, without the slave colonies in the
…show more content…
It helped give rise to a developing capitalist system in Britain. As stated by both Marks and Carter and Warren, Britain originally relied on protectionist policies to grow its industrial economy, which slavery helped to subsidize. Nevertheless, Britain would flip on this position once its economy grew powerful enough, instead advocating free trade around the globe. As stated earlier, it is unlikely that these systems would have developed the way they did without the use of slavery to “power” the Industrial Revolution’s demands. The system of capitalism would also come into existence in part due to the ability of slave-holding colonies to generate resources outside of mainland Britain. Burbank and Cooper bring attention to a large labor force in Britain, mostly farmers removed from their lands, who were able to work in British capitalists’ factories. Not having to generate the cotton or food necessary to fuel the Industrial Revolution, these workers were able to find jobs in Britain’s developing industrial sector. Their relative lack of power, compared to the capitalists owning the factories, essentially generated the capitalist system where the workers only own their labor. Without slavery subsidizing the economy of Britain, as Carter puts it, it is unlikely that conditions would have existed for a large labor force to be available to work in a capitalist
It helped give rise to a developing capitalist system in Britain. As stated by both Marks and Carter and Warren, Britain originally relied on protectionist policies to grow its industrial economy, which slavery helped to subsidize. Nevertheless, Britain would flip on this position once its economy grew powerful enough, instead advocating free trade around the globe. As stated earlier, it is unlikely that these systems would have developed the way they did without the use of slavery to “power” the Industrial Revolution’s demands. The system of capitalism would also come into existence in part due to the ability of slave-holding colonies to generate resources outside of mainland Britain. Burbank and Cooper bring attention to a large labor force in Britain, mostly farmers removed from their lands, who were able to work in British capitalists’ factories. Not having to generate the cotton or food necessary to fuel the Industrial Revolution, these workers were able to find jobs in Britain’s developing industrial sector. Their relative lack of power, compared to the capitalists owning the factories, essentially generated the capitalist system where the workers only own their labor. Without slavery subsidizing the economy of Britain, as Carter puts it, it is unlikely that conditions would have existed for a large labor force to be available to work in a capitalist