Industrialisation in Britain

Britain was the first European nation to industrialise. During the first half of the
19th century, it was the leading industrialised nation in the world. It manufactured
textiles and a variety of items made of iron.
Britain had rich coal mines which provided enough coal for industrial
power. The surplus was exported. This made Britain to be the leading trading
nation during the first half of the 19th century.
The other European countries and USA borrowed the industrial technology
from Britain. By 1870s Britain ceased to be the world’s leading industrialised
nation.
The last half of the 19th century was associated with many scientific
inventions and discoveries which promoted industrialisation not only in Britain but
also in other nations like USA, France and Germany. Britain became the first
nation to industrialise because of the following factors which contributed to the
development of industries:

1. Britain had good transport and communication network.

2. It had enough capital to invest in industry.

3. There was sufficient raw materials in Britain in form of coal, iron and cotton
for use in the industries.

4. Britain enjoyed a long period of peace and political stability.

5. The British army was strong and superior. It defended the waters of Britain
effectively from competitions by rival nations from sea pirates.

6. Britain had well advanced insurance and banking systems.

7. Trade barrier such as tariffs which could hinder trade never existed in
Britain by then because it had adopted the policy of free trade.

8. Britain had enterprising merchants who manned trade and also encouraged
industrial growth and development.

9. It had well developed cottage industries which laid the basis of the industrial
take off.

10. There was adequate skilled and unskilled labour.

11. The acquisition of colonies overseas provided Britain with more raw
materials for the industries.

12. The rapid population growth in Britain expanded the internal market for the
manufactured goods while the acquisition of colonies overseas provided
external markets.

13. The technological advancement of the people in Britain brought about new
inventions which stimulated industrialisation.

14. There was availability of energy from coal.

15. The Agrarian Revolution had provided industrial workers with sufficient
food.

The effects of the industrialisation in Britain in the 19th century

a) The industrialisation of Britain in the 19 th century stimulated the rural-urban

migration of the landless who went to seek for employment in the emerging
industrial centres. This led to expansion of industrial centres and hence
urbanisation.

b) Transport and communication facilities such as roads, railways, and

telephones were developed to serve the industrial centres by facilitating
trade and transportation of raw materials to the factories and manufacture of
goods to the market.

c) There was the expansion of the banking industry and insurance. These
provided services to both industrial owners and workers. They also created
new employment opportunities.

d) The industrialisation in Britain led to enormous expansion of local and

international trade. The manufactured goods were sold to the British citizens
and the surplus was sold to the rest of Europe and to the British colonies
overseas. The British colonies provided raw materials such as palm oil, iron,
copper and cotton in return.
e) Colonialism was encouraged as a means of acquiring sources of raw
materials for the British industries. Britain was able to acquire colonies such
as India, Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria.

f) The standards of living of many Britons was raised due to income obtained
from the industries. The rise of the standards of living of the middle class in
particular resulted to the class struggle between the rich and the poor in
Britain therefore sharpening the social stratification.

g) The industrialisation in Britain led to development of agricultural production

in Britain as well as in USA and other British colonies. The industrial
workers in Britain required food. The machines required lubricating oil
which was obtained from the palm oil grown along the West African coast.
Cotton was obtained from America and used in the British textile industries
to manufacture cotton cloth.

h) The industrialisation in Britain encouraged establishment of many kinds of

machines. These industrial machines produced fumes which polluted the
environment. There was also excessive noise which made some people deaf.

i) Poor living conditions of factory workers encouraged emergence of poor

housing or slums. In these slums there was overcrowding of houses which
were not properly ventilated. The poor living conditions were as a result of
the low wages of the factory workers.

j) The industrialisation in Britain also encouraged exploitation of labour.

Children and women laboured for long hours in industries before manual
labour was replaced by use of machines.

k) Industrialisation in Britain caused unemployment especially after machines

were introduced which could do the work formerly done by labourers. The
jobless still remained living in slums but they turned to new careers which
were immoral such as robbery and prostitution as a means of their survival.

l) The overcrowding of people in towns and poor sanitary facilities resulted to

outbreaks of diseases such as dysentery, cholera and tuberculosis.