The Industrial Revolution · The first wave
The Industrial Revolution, part 1: why Britain, why then
Coal, expensive labor, and steam turned Britain c.1760–1840 into the first economy to escape the old growth ceiling. Cotton mills, the steam engine, then railways.
Step 1 of 7 · 1. Before: the Malthusian ceiling30 min read ·
1. Before: the Malthusian ceiling
For most of history, when output grew, population grew and ate the gains. Living standards were roughly flat for centuries. The Industrial Revolution is when productivity started growing faster than population, and kept going.
Next: 2. Why Britain?