Why was the United Kingdom able to become an industrial powerhouse?

Answer 1

The Industrial Revolution era began in Great Britain, and continued when the country unified with Ireland to became the United Kingdom.

The leading industrial power for much of the late 18th century and the majority of the 19th century, the United Kingdom owed its success in large part to its sprawling colonial empire as well as its dominant navy.

By the mid-19th century, the British Empire was spread across every inhabited continent, with the Crown holding authority over upwards of 400 million people (~20% of the world population) at any one time. The empire was the main source of raw materials that provided the UK the reprieve it needed to boost invention-making and manufacturing production. Unlike other European powers at the time, there was less of a need in Britain for subsistence farming, meaning rural populations tended to move into burgeoning cities to find work. This transformed the UK from a mainly agricultural society to an industrial society early on while other nations struggled to both keep its populations fed and maintain high production.

At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the UK emerged as the leading superpower of the time. Its victory in the Battle of Trafalgar cemented the British naval supremacy that had been growing in the decades prior and allowed the UK unchallenged dominance over the Seven Seas. In fact, the Royal Navy played a prominent role in maintaining Britain's industrial lead over other emerging powers such as Germany and the United States. Because British industry was reliant on raw goods from colonial possessions, the Royal Navy was tasked in defending the precious cargo lines that shipped these goods to the UK. British control of the oceans allowed the navy to effectively fight off pirates while still threatening the trade of rival powers.

Answer 2

Mr. Fortune's History Class; they had power before. They had better goods. Everything was better, and they were fair well a wealthy colonist.