Comparison between Britain Industrial Revolution and American Industrial Revolution

It is known that Britain and American have experienced industrial revolution， and both countries were benefited a lot from this process. Their industrial revolutions have similarities as well as differences. This paper will discuss the definition， cause， process， inventions and effects of each country’s industrialization， and then make some comparisons.

Britain industrial revolution is known as the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in the late 18th and early 19th century. While American industrial revolution refers to change from hand and home production to machine and factory during the period between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 20th. During this period， America was transformed from a primitive agricultural economy to the foremost industrial power in the world， with more than a third of the global industrial output.

Industrial revolution is the result of the development of productivity and initiated by many factors. Britain is the first country to conduct industrial revolution. As an island country， Britain had many fine harbors and navigable rivers which provided good but cheap transportation. Also， the Glorious Revolution of 1688 ensured a stable political environment. Besides， the rising bourgeoisie became more dominant in parliament and they could exert their influence over Government. Britain had long been interested in overseas colonies and international trade which provided capital in large quantities for industrialization. What’s more， the Enclosures and other improvements in agriculture helped to provide cheap labor for the factories and some of the raw materials needed by industry. Last but not least， many well-trained engineers and craftsmen of Britain poured great vigor to the revolution.

As to American， causes were also various. First and foremost， the Embargo Act of 1807 resulted in much public outrage as it stopped the export of American goods and effectively ended the import of goods from other nations. Then the war against Great Britain in 1812 made it apparent that America needed a better transportation system and more economic independence. Therefore， manufacturing began to expand. Moreover， the westward movement created preconditions for the American industrialization since the westward development needed axes， nails， daily necessities， etc which are produced by the eastern industry. Westward Movement set off a wave of immigration； hence provide human resources for the industrialization of the United States.

Any revolution is a process rather than a overnight happen. Britain industrial revolution and American industrial revolution both began with the textile industry， is characterized by a series of inventions and improvements of machines.

We can compare the difference of their industrial revolution process through their inventions during these periods. Inventions in Britain industrial revolution are more simple and mainly handmade， include flying shuttle， Spinning Jenny ， water frame， power loom ， steam engine and so on， while American’s are more advanced and almost based on mechanic development， such as the first reliable steam engine， cotton gin， regular steamboat， telegraph ，sewing machine， transatlantic cable， telephone ，model T Ford， Assembly Line.

Both industrial revolutions have produced significant effects on each country. In Britain， a factory system was established and Britain was therefore by 1830 the “workshop of the world”；However， mechanization destroyed the livelihood of those who could not invest in it. The working men worked and lived in a appalling conditions. Most influential is that the industrial revolution has created the industrial working class， the proletariat， and it later led to trade unionism. To America， it has created numerous marvelous miracles in industrialization during nearly 100 years which enabled it to become the most powerful country in the world. The overall living standard has greatly been improved and life became more convenient. However， the wealthy class is becoming wealthier； the poorer class is becoming poorer， social contrasts are becoming sharper.

Due to the industrial revolution， Britain became the strongest country in the world during 19th-20th century. However， after American industrial revolution， America surpassed Britain and maintained its status as the most powerful country in the world up to now. We may refer to the difference in their industrial revolutions to find out the causes of their decline and rise.