INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
The Industrial Revolution spread from Great Britain to the continent, where the state played a greater role.
The Industrial Revolution was a sweeping economic and technological revolution spurred by the improved efficacy of manufacturing procedures such as water and steam power, iron production, coal fueling, and machine tools. The revolution caused a movement from hand-production to mass-produced commercial goods via complex machinery, which in turn shifted the overall economies of the countries affected from agricultural to industrial.
Industrialization in BritainThe Industrial Revolution was originally sparked by innovative British design, in which British inventors and capitalists established commercial dominance through the mechanization of the textile, iron, and steel industries as well as developing new means of transportation: canals, improved roads, and railways. Britain's large natural reserves of coal and iron promoted industrial growth while the use of rivers like the Thames, Severn, and Trent with the development of canals allowed for quick, efficient transportation of manufactured goods. British industrialization was furthered by members of Parliament who held personal commercial interests.
Industrialization in the ContinentIn the nature of commerce, the Industrial Revolution spread easily and rapidly from Great Britain across the English Channel into the continent, where different political and social climates affected how the movement progressed by country. In France, the delicate post-revolutionary climate caused the Industrial Revolution to progress at a more gradual pace than in Britain, with government support and less general abandonment of antiquated methods of production in favor of industrialization. Prussia strongly embraced industrialization, which allowed the country to become the dominant German power. Southern and Eastern Europe however were slow to adopt industrialization due to inadequate resources, persistence of the serfdom system, and lack of government support.
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The Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution was perhaps less jarring than the first, but it brought with it significantly more technological advancement and commercial success as industrial processes increased in scale and complexity. The Second Industrial Revolution was also much more global than the first, bringing significant industrialization to countries in Europe, North America, and Asia. The most significantly influenced countries were the United States, Germany, and Japan. The Second Industrial Revolution was so commercially successful for some companies that governments responded with hosts of anti-monopoly legislature and further commercial regulation.
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