Student Question

What factors initiated the Industrial Revolution?

Quick answer:

The Industrial Revolution was initiated by several key factors, primarily rooted in intellectual advances. The promotion of scientific thinking, beginning with the Renaissance and advancing through the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, was crucial. Additionally, increased education, facilitated by innovations like the printing press, enabled more people to contribute to technological progress. The Protestant Reformation also played a role by fostering capitalism and a work ethic conducive to industrial growth. These factors collectively set the stage for industrialization.

Expert Answers

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The most important set of factors that determined when the Industrial Revolution happened had to do with science and the scientific mindset.

The Industrial Revolution depended largely on technology.  Technology, in turn, develops through science and the scientific way of thinking.  Thus, the coming of the Industrial Revolution was made possible by the promotion of scientific thinking.  This trend started with the Renaissance and increased with the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment.

It is also important to look at the impact of education on industrialization.  Innovations like the printing press helped lead to greater levels of education by the time of the Industrial Revolution.  This meant that there were and more people who would be likely to be able to help bring about scientific and technological innovation.

Finally, there are those who credit the Protestant Reformation for helping to cause the Industrial Revolution to come about.  The Reformation weakened prohibitions on lending money, for example, and helped to develop capitalism.  Some also argue that it led to the Protestant work ethic which helped to drive the Industrial Revolution.

In these ways, it was mainly intellectual factors that laid the foundation for the Industrial Revolution.

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