The Spread of Industrial Revolution in Europe (Essay Sample)

[Your Name] [Instructor Name] [Course Number] [Date] The Spread of Industrial Revolution in Europe In the year 1815, the industrial revolution, which had started in Britain in the early 17th century, began to spread gradually across Europe to become one of the most profound mutations to ever affect men since the Neolithic period. In less than three generations, the face of England and Europe as a whole dramatically changed, forcing a realignment of socioeconomic and political patterns of life in the continent. Although the causes and spread of the industrial revolution have been a subject of debate for centuries, evidence shows that social, institutional, and technological changes fueled the spread of the industrial revolution across Europe. First, the rapid growth in population in the early 18th century did not only pile pressure on Europe’s food reserve but also created massive reservoirs of workers in the continent. According to Hartwell (112), Britain, France, and Belgium, which were then the fastest growing population in the world took advantage of their labor supply to expand in agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. During this time, Britain, which was the nucleus of the industrial revolution, had an astonishing number of innovators and highly productive agricultural systems. Thus, the high population growth in Europe ensured an abundance of labor supply that was necessary for the expansion of agricultural, manufacturing, and mining activities as well as the demand for agricultural products. Secondly, the emergence of relevant institutions supported by the government, such as learning and financial institutions helped in laying the foundation of the basic industrialization structures (Spielvogel 591). After 1815, cheap British products flooded the European markets, forcing some of the major market players such as France and Germany to go back to the drawing board. In response, some countries such as the French increased tariffs to protect their manufacturers. Moreover, changes in the investment institutions, particularly in the continental banks also encouraged industrialization in the continent (Mantoux 312). For example, in the 1830s, the two Belgian banks, the Banque de Belgique and Société Générale, which were previously left for merchants took a new approach by accepting savings from many depositors. This move created more capital which was then pumped to industries. Although it is difficult to quantify the impact of these institutions on the spread of the industrial revolution, evidence shows that their influence was significant. Lastly, technological advancement in the continent, which was borrowed mainly from Britain, greatly influenced the spread of the industrial revolution in Europe. In the 1820s, a wind of change regarding technology began to blow across Europe, particularly in France, Germany, and Belgium, which were, according to Spielvogel (591), the three major centers for the industrial revolution in the continent between the years 1815 and 1850s. By the 1840s, the continent achieved technological independence after a new generation of skilled artisans and mechanics from France and Belgium began to spread their knowledge in the South and East, taking the roles played by the British (Mathias 338). As a result, several ...