During the Industrial Revolution, which county led the way in Industrialization and why were they a leader in it?

kthnos

Great Britain Exist various theories about this : Some have stressed the importance of natural or financial resources that Britain received from its many overseas colonies or that profits from the British slave trade between Africa and the Caribbean helped fuel industrial investment Alternatively, the greater liberalisation of trade from a large merchant base may have allowed Britain to produce and use emerging scientific and technological developments more effectively than countries with stronger monarchies, particularly China and Russia Another theory is that Britain was able to succeed in the Industrial Revolution due to the availability of key resources it possessed. It had a dense population for its small geographical size. Enclosure of common land and the related agricultural revolution made a supply of this labour readily available The stable political situation in Britain from around 1688, and British society's greater receptiveness to change (compared with other European countries) can also be said to be factors favouring the Industrial Revolution Another theory is that the British advance was due to the presence of an entrepreneurial class which believed in progress, technology and hard work http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution Jun 02 09, 3:01 PM

Baloo55th

(I am assuming that Cyle did mean 'county' not 'country' as kthnos appears to have done.) Shropshire took the early lead. Abraham Darby founded the industry these producing cheap iron. Without this, you wouldn't have the Industrial Revolution. The reason for this was the use of coke for smelting instead of the traditional charcoal. The use of charcoal was expensive, as it could only be produced in comparatively small quantities, and it consumed a lot of wood. Coke could be produced much cheaper, leading to cheaper - and better - iron. Without this, no steam engines, mill machinery and so much more that we take for granted. The reason for Shropshire was a good supply of low sulphur coal and accessible iron ore - and a prior iron industry fueled by charcoal. This meant a labour supply experienced with iron, and existing ironworks that could be converted to the new way. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Darby_I Jun 02 09, 3:36 PM