Chapter 18 Reflections

            The speculations on the origin of the Industrial Revolution indicate the prosperity of Great Britain arising out of conditions that occurred simultaneously and necessarily. It appears that without the seemingly coincidental collision of events that led to the manifestation of an industrialized Britain, the revolution as history understands it would have never existed at all. One could speculate that the increased agricultural production reared from the better developed technology as well as methodology surrounding the production system in turn created the increased population that necessarily occurred alongside it, that the innovative thinking that devised procedures such as crop rotation and selective breeding fostered the workers to be born off the cheap food now readily available. Regardless, the combination of the two that occurred in Britain on account of the selective farming techniques that the country employed to allow for marketable farms to prosper over the individual farmer paved a smooth foundation for the birth of the revolution due to a surplus in workers full of rich, cheap caloric intake and restless angst.

            Other preexisting conditions generated the expanse of industry in Britain that did not exist in neighboring and equally available countries. The governmental policies contributed significantly to their growth in direct comparison to France; in Britain, tolerance emerged before the occurrence of a revolution, which took France until the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century to gain, allowing the increase in scientific minds to collaborate in the country. The tariff policies also favored internal growth rather than external importation of goods such as textiles from neighboring countries. Therefore, Britain provided its residence with a greater incentive to engage their intelligent, Scientifically Revolutionized minds to initiate technological growth. The universities within Britain fostered experimentation as well as practical development in the fields of technology much more than technologically advanced countries such as China or India. This also created a means for the Industrial Revolution to occur on the grounds of a constant stream of improvement and growth. While Britain favored the development of mechanical devises, China placed its importance on religious devotion and understanding. It becomes clear the advantages of Britain against the rest of the world when the smaller and less identifiable points such as these are examined. In total, the Industrial Revolution was not an advantage that could be found on the global level; it was not a comparison between the economic standings of the countries, the military superiority, the population size, the greatest ruler. In actuality, it did not have to do with the country as a whole at all. The Industrial Revolution was born from the individual mind, the individual cooperation, and the individual desire to better one’s condition. The Industrial Revolution occurred with a modern mentality, one of capitalism, expansion, improvement, and constant gain through self-interest. The greatest thing Britain was able to do for itself was provide the exact means for this ideal to develop, and therefore won the race for technology.