The Global Causes of the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution is one of the most significant cultural milestones in human history. It not only advanced science and technology, but it also had profound effects on politics, social structures and everyday life. Karl Marx's theory of communism is a direct response to the social and cultural environment produced by the Industrial Revolution. Although the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, it was influenced by a number of global factors as the European powers competed to dominate the global market.
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Technology
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The Industrial Revolution occurred gradually over a hundred-year period. It unfolded in Great Britain toward the end of the 18th century. In 1750, the population in Britain was primarily rural. Most people lived on small farms and provided their needs and necessities by hand. A hundred years later, in 1850, manual labor had been largely replaced by mechanized labor and steam power. Much of the population was forced to seek employment in the large urban centers. As industrialism revolutionized the workplace and working conditions, it compelled the workers, managers and employers to stay informed about the latest developments in technology. Competitors could poach employees trained by one manufacturer. All the major European countries, and the United States, adopted a process referred to as "study-touring." Study-touring involved gathering knowledge and information about manufacturing and production techniques and documenting the details in a travel journal. Study-touring contributed to the development of Industrial Revolution.
European Colonialism
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The Industrial Revolution was synonymous with European imperialism and colonialism. The technologies that engendered industrialization also provided the tools to extend their empires around the globe. In the 18th century, Great Britain was the most powerful world power. The other major European powers -- France, Spain, Portugal, Holland and Belgium -- all staked claims and fought for territory. The European colonies in the Americas, on the African continent and in the East opened up enormous material and economic resources for the Industrial Revolution. In addition, the increasing global market opened up new markets of trade that allowed capital to more freely flow back.
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Military Causes
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The American Revolution occurred at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and the French Revolution occurred soon after. At the same time, France and England were engaged in major military struggles on the European continent as well as other colonial territories around the globe. The military need, among the competing powers, for ever-increasing lethal weaponry was a major factor that contributed to Industrial Revolution.
Philosophical Societies
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The 18th century is often referred to as the "Age of Reason" or the "Enlightenment." One aspect of the Enlightenment was the belief that all human ills and problems could be solved by the spread of knowledge. An offshoot of this idea was the creation of informal philosophical societies. Philosophical societies met to discuss new developments in natural philosophy and science as well as the practical applications of these ideas -- in other words, technology. Benjamin Franklin formed a philosophical society in Philadelphia. In addition to discussing ideas, most societies published a journal or a transaction of the proceedings. This helped to spread the new ideas in science and technology. London's "Royal Society of Arts" published an illustrated volume of the new inventions of the day.
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References
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