The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution began with technological innovation, right? Well, as this program points out, new technology was only one part of the equation that transformed the Western world from an agrarian society into an industrial powerhouse. Among the many other factors which prompted the development of industrial power in England from approximately 1760 to 1860 were: rise of smaller industrial cities, the growth of the middle class, the adoption of the landlord-tenant system in agriculture, the application of new agricultural techniques (crop rotation), and consumer demand, which was prompted by the importing of exotic goods (cotton!) from India, Asia and Japan. While most European countries had pieces of the Industrial Revolution in place, it was the English who had the genius to weave those pieces into a whole manufacturing cloth, building a commercial empire in the process. A rather academic presentation with viewpoints presented by Professors Maxine Berg and Margaret Jacob, this entry in the Just the Facts series has a bit of a dry tone, but its non-fluff approach makes it a valuable tool for history classes. Recommended. Other new titles in the series include: Ancient Rome, The Middle Ages, The Renaissance and The Age of Enlightenment. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Fisher)