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Causes of The Industrial Revolution
Causes of The Industrial Revolution
Among other reasons, the mining of resources such as coal, was vital to
the process of industrialization. Britain was the first to industrialize and had large supplies of
coal present in the country. Coal was a necessary ingredient in the industrial process as it
fuelled the steam engines that were used in trains, ships and all other sorts of machinery.
Not only did Britain have large supplies of the resource, but it was also easily
obtainable. Unlike other European nations, coal in Britain was relatively close to the surface
and was therefore relatively easy for miners to find and extract it. The mining of coal
became even easier after the invention of the steam engine by Thomas Newcomen, which
was originally used to pump water out of coal mines. The Agricultural Revolution also
contributed towards the rise of industrialisation. As previously stated, the Industrial
Revolution began in Britain in the 18th century due in part to an increase in food
production, which was the key outcome of the Agricultural Revolution. As such, the
Agricultural Revolution is considered to have begun in the 17th century and continued
throughout the centuries that followed, alongside the Industrial Revolution. In general, the
Agricultural Revolution involved new farming techniques, the use of machinery in farming,
and the increase of private land ownership. For example, Charles Townshend introduced
the concept of crop rotation which allowed British farmers to produce more food faster.
This led to a dramatic increase in the population of the country which in-turn created a large
workforce for the factories and mines. Also, Jethro Tull invented the seed drill which
allowed farmers to plant crops faster and in straight rows. This also led to an increase in
food production, while also allowing the same amount of work to be done by less people.
Therefore, people were able to leave the farms and move to the towns and cities where
factories and mines were being established. Finally, the “Enclosure Movement” in Britain
led to increased private ownership of farms, and forced smaller farmers off of their
traditional land. This caused a mass migration of farmers to the town and cities in search of
work. As a result, this created a large workforce that factory and mine owners could then
exploit. In all, the Agricultural Revolution was an important cause of the Industrial
Revolution. The Agricultural Revolution took place in Britain in the 1700s and involved
inventions and innovations that led to an increase in food production. As stated previously,
the increased food production allowed Britain’s population to also increase which
benefitted the Industrial Revolution in two ways. First, the increased population helped
produce workers for the factories and mines that were so important to the Industrial
Revolution. Second, the larger population created a market for goods to sold to which
helped the owners of the factories to make a profit off of the sale of their goods.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ashton, T.S, The Industrial Revolution, 1760-1830, Oxford University Press, Oxford,
1948.
Deane, Phyllis, The First Industrial Revolution, Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, 1965.