Slavery And The Industrial Revolution

Increased exports and the rise of industry helped to start the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution took off in the 1780s, benefitting greatly from the economic activity created by slavery. Modern machinery and factory techniques were central to the Industrial Revolution. Slavery expanded the market for iron, which was used to create new machinery and was a critical resource of the emerging industrialization. As Williams finds, between 1788 and 1830 in Britain, the production of pig iron increased ten-fold and there were three times as many furnaces as a result of newer markets and higher demand for iron. This surge in iron production, and the lowering of its cost, led to many new uses. For example, iron was used to help create essential infrastructure. Railroads, gas and water pipes, bridges, and in some cases ships were built using this newly abundant and cheaper commodity. The most significant new use for iron, however, was its use in machinery. Before the sudden rise of cheap iron, most machinery was made from wood. Technology allowed machines to be built from iron and to become more durable and productive. Factory owners soon began to purchase only machinery made from iron. As a result, production levels skyrocketed in Britain. This also led to many new industrial innovations. Production increased exponentially. For example, these new production techniques enabled the creation of interchangeable parts.
Without the Industrial Revolution, capitalism would never have evolved successfully. Modernization was dependent durable, reliable machinery that was made possible by the emergence of abundant, cheap iron ore. The cheap iron was made possible by increased trade and increased exports. Much of this resulted, directly and indirectly, from the slave trade. . The slave trade helped create the foundation for capitalism and helped to spread “capitalist values” around the