History Extra podcast The Industrial Revolution: everything you wanted to know
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Jan 3, 2021 Emma Griffin, a historian and president of the Royal Historical Society, dives into Britain’s Industrial Revolution, addressing listener questions. She highlights how this era marked a shift from land-based to machine-driven production. Griffin discusses the pivotal role of coal and capital, along with the societal impacts on workers, especially children. She examines the changes in family dynamics and working conditions, revealing both the grim realities and unexpected opportunities, emphasizing the balance of winners and losers in this transformative period.
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From Local Land To Global Supply
- Industrialisation severs daily life from immediate local land and seasons, changing how we obtain food, clothes and shelter.
- Emma Griffin says this shift underpins modern consumption and the rise of non-local goods like cotton and later electronics.
Steam Marks The True Takeoff
- Industrialisation started in the 18th century but becomes a full revolution when steam engines power factories and transport in the 1820s–1830s.
- Griffin argues the Industrial Revolution proper is primarily a 19th-century phenomenon driven by coal and steam.
Multiple Preconditions, Not A Single Cause
- Britain had coal and a sophisticated, cash-rich economy with banks and prototypes, which enabled industrial experiments and scaling.
- Griffin stresses there is no single 'silver bullet' but many preconditions and investments that allowed Britain to lead.
