Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Great Britain?

This week we explore the history of the Industrial Revolution.  Another revolutionary development that had even broader consequences for the history of the world.  Everything from the massive increase in productive capacities, to increased urbanization, a class-based society, the ideas of socialism and environmental destruction is related to this development.  We will consider how the industrial revolution developed and what its consequences were.

Read chapter 17.  There is a set of Chapter Reading Questions, below, and a Discussion Board debate about the good and the bad of the Industrial Revolution.

Chapter Reading Questions  Week 7

Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Each answer should be roughly one or two paragraphs. Use examples and/or quotes from the textbook to support your answers. Type in the answers directly below each question.  Save and send the document as “week 7 reading questions your last name” (for example, week 7 reading questions gerlach).

1. Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Great Britain?

2. In what ways was the Industrial Revolution a global event? (Make sure to explain how industrialization spread to other countries and how countries that did not industrialize were drawn into the new world economy that emerged because of it.)