Industrialization Spreads
11th and 12th Grade Literature and Informational Reading Texts
In addition to Great Britain's internal factors conducive to industrialization, there were external factors that help explain why other nations didn't industrialize as early or as rapidly. First, Great Britain took intentional measures to protect their innovations and maintain a competitive edge. Second, other European nations were experiencing varying degrees of political disunity. As an island, Great Britain remained segregated from conflicts and turbulence on the mainland, such as the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars in Europe. Third, natural resources such as coal and iron were either lesser in quantity or more spread out, making them more difficult to mine and distribute than in Great Britain. In 1851, Great Britain hosted The Great Exhibition to showcase the nation's progress in innovation and technology. This became a turning point, as it sparked other nations to industrialize. The first nations to follow Great Britain's lead were those that were closest geographically-- Belgium, France, and Germany in Europe and the United States in North America.
Belgium was the first nation on the European mainland to industrialize. Geographically, it had a network of waterways that behooved transportation. As a small nation, its iron and coal resources were near each other. Although Great Britain forbade the transmission of its technology to other nations, skilled British workers emigrated to Belgium and used their knowledge and expertise to help kick start textile manufacturing.
Due in part to lingering effects of the French Revolution, the pace of industrialization was more gradual in France than in Great Britain. The French had protectionist tariffs, or taxes on imports and exports. These were especially punitive toward Britain, a longtime rival of France. The tariffs resulted in the persistence of older, less efficient means of textile production and metallurgy. In addition, natural resources of coal and iron were less abundant in France than in Great Britain, Germany, or the United States. Population growth occurred at a slower pace in France than in other Western nations. Nevertheless, the Industrial Revolution did take hold in France as railroads expanded and the factory system replaced the domestic system.
Germany was politically divided in the early 1800s. After unification in 1871, industrialization occurred at a rapid pace. Germany followed the British model, importing technology and sending people abroad to learn about the innovations in Great Britain. The construction of railroads linked urban centers of manufacturing with valuable coal and iron deposits in the Ruhr valley. Germany focused primarily on heavy industry with less emphasis on textiles, preferring instead to import them from Great Britain. Germany experienced exponential growth in steel production, even surpassing Great Britain in the 1890s. The combined factors of unification and industrialization elevated Germany as an emerging military and imperial powerhouse in the 20th century.
As a much larger nation than any single European country, more expansive territory meant more expansive natural resources for the United States. It also meant that railroads were essential to traverse the nation and link resources to manufacturing locations; the first intercontinental railroad was built in 1869 to connect territory east and west of the Mississippi River. Like Belgium, the United States mechanized the textile industry with British emigrants leading the way, which sparked urbanization. Most factories were concentrated in the Northeast. Notable inventions unique to the United States include the electric lightbulb and telephone.
Eventually, smaller companies trended toward mergers to form larger companies. Corporations emerged as companies who sold stocks, or shares of ownership, to raise capital for investment and expansion. Prominent examples include the Standard Oil Company, founded by John D. Rockefeller and the Carnegie Steel Company, founded by Andrew Carnegie. The Civil War also fueled a manufacturing boom, particularly in the arms industry. As domestic demand subsided following the conclusion of The Civil War in 1865, sales were redirected to international markets. Another factory unique to the United States was an initial concern about a labor shortage, which led to an influx of immigrant workers in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
Japan stands out as a non-Western example of industrialization. As an island nation, Japan was staunchly isolationist until Americans led by Commodore Matthew Perry forced the Japanese to open up to trade in 1853. Quickly realizing that dramatic changes were happening elsewhere around the globe, Japan made a concerted effort to catch up with the Industrial Revolution. After seeing China influenced by European imperialists with modern weapons, Japan felt it was necessary to be proactive. During the Meiji Restoration, starting in 1868, Japan sent scholars abroad to learn from the United States and Western Europe, and brought Westerners to Japan to spread their knowledge. Japan caught the world's attention during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). It started as a rivalry over territory in Manchuria and Korea, and exemplified how industrialization could beget military and political power. The Japanese victory was significant, as the first instance of an Asian nation defeating a European power in the modern era.
Belgium was the first nation on the European mainland to industrialize. Geographically, it had a network of waterways that behooved transportation. As a small nation, its iron and coal resources were near each other. Although Great Britain forbade the transmission of its technology to other nations, skilled British workers emigrated to Belgium and used their knowledge and expertise to help kick start textile manufacturing.
Due in part to lingering effects of the French Revolution, the pace of industrialization was more gradual in France than in Great Britain. The French had protectionist tariffs, or taxes on imports and exports. These were especially punitive toward Britain, a longtime rival of France. The tariffs resulted in the persistence of older, less efficient means of textile production and metallurgy. In addition, natural resources of coal and iron were less abundant in France than in Great Britain, Germany, or the United States. Population growth occurred at a slower pace in France than in other Western nations. Nevertheless, the Industrial Revolution did take hold in France as railroads expanded and the factory system replaced the domestic system.
Germany was politically divided in the early 1800s. After unification in 1871, industrialization occurred at a rapid pace. Germany followed the British model, importing technology and sending people abroad to learn about the innovations in Great Britain. The construction of railroads linked urban centers of manufacturing with valuable coal and iron deposits in the Ruhr valley. Germany focused primarily on heavy industry with less emphasis on textiles, preferring instead to import them from Great Britain. Germany experienced exponential growth in steel production, even surpassing Great Britain in the 1890s. The combined factors of unification and industrialization elevated Germany as an emerging military and imperial powerhouse in the 20th century.
As a much larger nation than any single European country, more expansive territory meant more expansive natural resources for the United States. It also meant that railroads were essential to traverse the nation and link resources to manufacturing locations; the first intercontinental railroad was built in 1869 to connect territory east and west of the Mississippi River. Like Belgium, the United States mechanized the textile industry with British emigrants leading the way, which sparked urbanization. Most factories were concentrated in the Northeast. Notable inventions unique to the United States include the electric lightbulb and telephone.
Eventually, smaller companies trended toward mergers to form larger companies. Corporations emerged as companies who sold stocks, or shares of ownership, to raise capital for investment and expansion. Prominent examples include the Standard Oil Company, founded by John D. Rockefeller and the Carnegie Steel Company, founded by Andrew Carnegie. The Civil War also fueled a manufacturing boom, particularly in the arms industry. As domestic demand subsided following the conclusion of The Civil War in 1865, sales were redirected to international markets. Another factory unique to the United States was an initial concern about a labor shortage, which led to an influx of immigrant workers in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
Japan stands out as a non-Western example of industrialization. As an island nation, Japan was staunchly isolationist until Americans led by Commodore Matthew Perry forced the Japanese to open up to trade in 1853. Quickly realizing that dramatic changes were happening elsewhere around the globe, Japan made a concerted effort to catch up with the Industrial Revolution. After seeing China influenced by European imperialists with modern weapons, Japan felt it was necessary to be proactive. During the Meiji Restoration, starting in 1868, Japan sent scholars abroad to learn from the United States and Western Europe, and brought Westerners to Japan to spread their knowledge. Japan caught the world's attention during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). It started as a rivalry over territory in Manchuria and Korea, and exemplified how industrialization could beget military and political power. The Japanese victory was significant, as the first instance of an Asian nation defeating a European power in the modern era.