Why Industrial Revolution First came to England ?

  Industrial Revolution First Country

According to Mrs. Knowles the explanation of this lies in the fact that the English population was relatively very small to deal with the growing export trade. The introduction of machinery was essential as there were not enough people to satisfy by handwork the increased demand. In order to cater for an export and import trade of 40 million pounds, France had 26 million people while Great Britain only had 9 million people to deal with a foreign trade of 32 million pounds. Thus France with her 26 million had plenty of available labour that could be occupied in domestic industrial production. (Thus according to Mrs. Knowles the fundamental factors leading to the initiation and completion of the industrial revolution in England in the sense of introduction of machinery factories and large scale production units was the shortage of labour and the other factors of production).

Lipson on the other hand, tries to counteract the view that invention constitute the starting point of the present industrial society. He points out that long before the inventions England had, a vigorous manufacturing and mercantile life of her own. In connection with the origins of the Industrial Revolution, Bernie observes that outweighing all factors in importance was the fact that England alone among European nation had an  extensively overseas empire. It was an example when trade following the flag. Hence the possession of vast overseas empire and the consequent for a Revolution in British industries.

Lipson agrees with the idea that the existence of market abroad provided a great incentive for the adoption of inventions. Nevertheless he points out that it is only a part of the explanation since France also made notable commercial strides in the 18th century, but was outstripped in the race for industrial supremacy. It can be concluded that industrial revolution in England was the result of a combination of factors favourable to rapid industrialisation. In short England by this time had been able to create the essential pre-requisites for industrialisation and economy growth.

In the first place, prior to the inventions English industries, commerce and banking were constituted on lines which served to make a large outlay on machinery and buildings practical and profitable. Secondly it was possible because England had accumulated sufficient capital for investment. The capital had been built up out of the profits on foreign trade. Thirdly the accumulation of capital was greatly helped by a change in ideas assert itself. Fourthly there also existed a class of entrepreneurs equipped with the requisite technical qualities and organising ability and accustomed to large production, the handling of labour force. The utilisation of credit  instruments depended on imported materials and requirement of distant varied markets.

Fifthly one of the most essential and favouring objects of the Industrial Revolution in England became the early and remarkable development of invention. The supreme position of U.K. in the field of inventions seems to be attributable to two things, 1) to the fact that the need for invention was very great and 2) the bent of English genius in the period under consideration was towards practical application of science while the continental scientists carried on research in light, electricity and chemical reactions.

Sixthly, the nature of English market was most helpful and favourable for mass scale mechanical production. The home market was composed of a substantial middle class enjoying a reasonably high standard of living. It consisted of manufactures, traders, farmers, the better paid section of artisans and peasants. The ownership of property was widely diffused. Since the nature of market determines the nature of the productive process the demand of the English people was for commodities which easily lent themselves for mechanical production without the loss of their essential qualities. Moreover the flexible trend of National consumption was responsive production, in a country where production was increasing, wages were advancing and wants were elastic.

Seventhly, the growth of population failed to keep pace with the expansion of commerce and industry. The textile industry exemplified the course of events in this period, e.g. in the textile industry the shortage of labour combined with the comparatively high standard of wages furnished English producers with an inducement to avail themselves of mechanical methods which would economise the use of labour. Moreover, the hand spun yarn was neither uniform in quality nor strong enough to bear the strain of the power loom.

Eighthly, the early exploitation of the coal resources stimulated the progress of industries. In a way coal provided the driving force for machinery and constituted the key to the industrial development of the 18th century.

Ninthly, the institutional factors favouring the emergence of the Industrial Revolution were a strong political and National unity.

Tenthly, agricultural transformation or the agrarian revolution created important pre-requisites for industrialisation.

To sum up, the Industrial Revolution came first to England because she had expanding units both at home as well as abroad for her wares, because the nature of the wares was  suitable for machine production, because there was a shortage of labour, because frequent inefficiency and relatively high price of labour stressed a motive to employment of mechanical devices, the necessary resources were available for Investment , because there existed run of enterprise with the energy to exploit new methods, because it lay in the logic of centuries of development as moulded by a variety of contributing influences.