A map depicting the spread of the Industrial Revolution through Europe in the 19th century.
The First Industrial Revolution
From 1760 to 1830, the Industrial Revolution was largely confined to Great Britain. Aware of their advantage, the British banned the export of machinery, skilled workers, and manufacturing techniques.
The British monopoly could not last forever, especially as some Britons saw profitable industrial opportunities abroad, while businessmen in continental Europe sought to attract British know-how to their countries.
Two Englishmen, William and John Cockerill, brought the Industrial Revolution to Belgium by establishing machine shops in Liege (c. 1807), and Belgium became the first country in continental Europe to be economically transformed.
Like its British predecessor, the Belgian industrial revolution centered on iron, coal, and textiles.
Later, the so-called industrial revolution gradually spread eastward. Although it was not supported by European programs and despite encountering numerous obstacles and customs, the entire continent was conquered by machines in just a few decades. The strength of industrialization was its economic efficiency, unprecedented at that time.
(freely adapted from Britannica via Designersparty [Insta])
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