Discuss the combination of social, technological, political, agricultural and economic factors that allowed Great Britain to be the first country to industrialize.

From the beginning of the 18th century up until the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution changed the world. All of the changes began in Great Britain. This was due to many factors. The Agricultural Revolution that was going on during this time gave many new technologies to improve the life of its citizens. Great Britain also had an abundance of natural resources, available capital and political support for innovation.

With the start of the agricultural revolution, many new technologies were introduced into Europe that revolutionized farming methods and practices. Many of these, like the seed drill, increased productivity, while better fertilizer helped the food to grow faster and better than it had before. This led to better farming methods, yielding more food at a lower price for the population to buy. The population skyrocketed. To further this productivity, the Enclosure Movement consolidated most small farms into large ones. This left many of the owners of the small farms homeless and without work, which provided the working class for the industrial revolution.

English: Watt's steam engine at the lobby of the H...

Created by the previous uploader using a popular O...

A Spinning Jenny, spinning machine which was signi...

Great Britain was able to handle the extra stresses of the industrial revolution because of its geography and history. Many places in Great Britain had access to materials that were high in demand during the revolution. These included iron and coal, which made and powered the new inventions of the revolution. Great Britain had an almost unlimited access to navigatable rivers and natural harbors, which made the transportation of goods, either within the country or overseas, much easier. Britain’s oversea empire built up a strong economy for Great Britain and also provided capital to buy new technologies such as railroads, factories and mines.

From the start of the revolution, the British government promoted innovation. British entrepreneurs had a high degree of freedom from state control, unlike most other...