NAME______________________

What causes an Industrial Revolution?

Directions: Examine the primary and secondary sources below. Then discuss with one or two partners the connection
between the information about 19th-century England and contemporary China. Next, determine whether the sources
pertain to E, S, P or G. Finally, determine what the sources reveal about the causes of industrial revolutions.

E, S, P or G?
19th-century England Contemporary China What causes
Industrial
Revolution?

Ovals = major oil fields

British Colonies, 1850 Year Exports to the United States

Canada (in billions of $)
India 1990 15,237
South Africa 1995 45,543
Australia 2000 100,018
British Guiana 2005 243,470

Year British
Population (est.) Year Chinese Population
1650 5.7 million 1953 582 million
1750 5.7 million 1963 700 million
1800 10.5 million 1973 900 million
1850 16.6 million 1983 1.2 billion

In the early 1700s, the British government had set
firm restrictions on commerce, hoping to secure a
favorable balance of trade with other nations.
However, a theory emerged during the
Enlightenment that stated that business should
operate with little or no government interference.
Between 1750 and 1850, the British government
slowly adopted this theory.
-- S. Goldberg, Brief Review for GlobalHistory.
The overriding task in China today is to throw
ourselves heart and soul into [economic growth].
While giving play to the advantages inherent in
socialism, we are also employing some capitalist
methods but only as methods of accelerating the
growth of [economic production]China has no
alternative but to follow this road.
-- Deng Xiaoping, 1985