The Industrial Revolution
It has, been variously called the "Western Miracle" (Rosenberg and Birdzell 42) and the "European Miracle," (Jones) but it is commonly known as the Industrial Revolution. Subsequent to the Middle Ages, populations in Western Europe began developing technology that enhanced their ability to generate products and which led to significantly higher standards of living than populations elsewhere on the planet. It should be noted that this does not suggest that the quality of life was better for the Europeans, only that even the poorest European was materially better off than his counterpart in India or China. This research examines why the Industrial Revolution took place in Europe, and why it did not occur elsewhere, specifically Asia. Analysts who have taken on the question of why the industrial revolution occurred in Europe have proposed several theories, each of which, alone, fails to adequately explain the phenomenon. Some have attributed the industrialization to imperialism, but some economically successful countries grew prosperous before imperialism and some, such as Norway and Switzerland, avoided imperialism altogether. Possession of natural resources has also been put forth as a possibl
The immigration meant that there were now family as well as commercial links between London and the provinces. One harvest failure could cause serious problems; two spaced closely together were catastrophic. What these figures indicate is that although Europe may not have been as populous as the Orient or India, it was more successful at taking care of the people it did support. It is estimated that the real wage tended to be higher than that of the Orient and India during the thirteenth century and possibly even during the twelfth (Jones 3). Lacking a large human capital stock on which to draw for labor, the Europeans turned to domesticated animals to produce much of the labor for them. Asia lagged behind Europe in mechanical engineering. Four-wheel wagons, which could carry several tons, two-wheel carts and packhorse trains were all in use. Large civil engineering and luxury court projects provided abundance that appeared monumental and grand, but such projects were enjoyed by a small elite. By 1550, London dominated the trade of English cloth, which accounted for as much as 80 percent of all overseas trade at the time (Barker 45). England also had a strong commercial hub in London, which provided ready access to markets for both import and export, and which was at the center of a strong land transportation system. Without those reserves, the devastation was nearly complete among the Asians as expert workers and working animals died. Thus was born an industrial growth relationship between the provinces and London that maximized growth during the sixteenth century (47). Industrial production had ceased, and agriculture had collapsed. London was uniquely placed to take advantage of receiving heavy bulky goods by water, or lighter, more valuable goods by land, and then distribute those to the rest of the country (Barker 45).
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