Essay About Industrial Revolution And United States

Important Factors Leading to Industrial Revolution
Essay title: Important Factors Leading to Industrial Revolution
Nowadays, it is almost taken for granted that the industrial revolutions are the
result of changing technology and the proper application of that in the industrial
production. However, from my point of view, these two factors did play a vital role in
stimulating industrial revolutions, but they were not the only catalyzer propelling
monumental development in industry. Influentially, the improvements in
organizations of politics, social patterns, commerce, finance, and transportation also
accounted for the prosperous phenomenon in the industrial revolutions. In this paper ,
I am going to compareBritain in the First Industrial Revolution with the United
States during the timeframe of Second Industrial Revolutions, and show how the
political , social, financial and transportation change encouraged the two countries
moving into industrial revolution.
1. Political change
Both Britain and the United States sufficiently benefited from the political
changeover, in the form of favorable government policies to boost up the
economy to a whole new level, that is , the industrial revolution.
In Britain , the 1688 Glorious Revolution was regarded as the “ turning point in
the evolution of British government’, which assured the rise of limited monarchy.
Since then, it would be impossible to govern without Parliament. Several years later,
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in 1689, the “Bill of rights’ was enacted in favor of the right to own private property,
which also indicated that Britain henceforth steppped in the era of modern liberal
democracy. This action was served as political support for creating efficient
credit(financial, banking) system in the futrure. With the political recognition of
property rights, togother with the provisions of financial system, an increasing number
of business began to engage in intra-conlonial trade, and the economy was expanded
through this way. However, although the property of rights was recognized, “ it also
ensured tah tthe property rights of the poor should not stand in the way of the
improvements of the rich”.( Reformation to industrial revolution, 144) As a result, the
poor was forced to be the loser under this condition , and thus the major social
division was now between the rich and poor, which accounted for the futrure unrest in
the society.
The United States, on the other hand, did not had much to do as Britain with
the first industrial revolution since it only served as a mercantile colony to Britain
until it claimed independence in the year of 1775. However, once after they gained
autonomy , the new government quickly adopted the protectionism and started to
intervent in the market activities vigorouly. An array of new laws were set up,
including Tariff policy and liberal banking regulations. “Over the years, it also
became easier to form a limited liability corporation for any legitimate business
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purpose. This development was crucial for the Second Industrial Revulution”
(American capitalism, 106)