Why was britain the first nation to industrialise
Why was Britain the first nation to industrialise? The mid 18th Century witnessed the beginning of Britain’s process of change from an agrarian handicraft economy, to an economy dominated by industry and manufacture. ... Historians have citied many reasons why Britain was able to industrialise including: - changes in agriculture and population, changing attitudes in government, changes in trade and new advances in technology. The fact that Britain was already making slow progress was also an important factor. This essay will examine some of these reasons for industrialisation and attempt to discover what was unique about Britain. In the years that proceeded industrialisation, Britain was enjoying a period of steady growth in agriculture and overseas trade. In the early 17th Century, the ‘first British Empire’ took shape. ... Britain fought for land in the Americas against the French and Dutch these wars resulted in Britain controlling most of North America and dominating trade there. If Britain were defeated, perhaps France or Holland would have industrialised first. The trade market in France was at least equal to Britain’s trade and Holland was well established in agriculture and had much power at the time. Agriculture in Britain welcomed new methods of farming. ... The combination of agricultural changes at home and lucrative trade in the Americas brought capital and the means of production to Britain in the form of goods and raw materials.