Age of imperialism and colonialism
Britain and Industrialization
World trade was rising, and Britain was benefiting from exporting goods. People's lives were improving. They were getting more in return for their labor. A new interest in consumerism came into light. Demand for products started to increase. Manufacturing that was usually done in people's homes, using hand tools and basic machines soon had to change to methods that would create products faster and in greater quantities. This was the beginning of industrialization.
World trade was rising, and Britain was benefiting from exporting goods. People's lives were improving. They were getting more in return for their labor. A new interest in consumerism came into light. Demand for products started to increase. Manufacturing that was usually done in people's homes, using hand tools and basic machines soon had to change to methods that would create products faster and in greater quantities. This was the beginning of industrialization.
The Industrial Revolution witnessed a huge growth in the size of British cities. Manchester experienced a huge increase in its population because technical developments in farming had reduced the need for people to work on farmland, making people move to the cities to get accommodation and a job. These citieswere not prepared for such a population increase in such a short period of time. This brought on issues of housing, food, goods, clothing, supplies and more. Everything seemed to be running short.
Great Britain changed a lot after the industrial revolution. Demand meant more supply, which meant that there needed to be a faster way to create products. This brought in the idea and development of factories. Workers who were so used to creating products at home soon had to move their work into a less comfortable environment. Children working at home were better treated than they were in the factory. People could work at their own speed and rest and eat when they needed to. However, when creating the products at home the production was very slow and the finished product was simply not enough to supply the fast growing population of the United Kingdom. A better and faster system of production was needed. Obviously this change was not overly thrilling, and the wages were poor, but the products were made faster. Working conditions in factories were often horrible, with long hours and little pay. Children would often suffer from deformities due to working in factories from a young age.
Britain as the Colonial Power
While other empires had their place in the colonialist world, it was undoubtedly Britain who was the leading superpower. A famous saying, “the sun never sets on the British Empire,” refers to the fact that somewhere around the world, the sun was shining on Britain's empire. Many different factors came together to allow the British to be the dominant Imperialist nation, including political stability, the Industrial Revolution, their focus on economic power and wealth and their strong Navy.
Britain was also an extraordinarily stable country at the time, ruled by Queen Victoria and uncharacterized by the political violence of nations such as France and the United States. Industrialists did not have to worry about a revolution, and there were few restrictions on the British economy, allowing it to grow and prosper. Political stability allowed the English to look beyond their horizons and aim to gain more wealth and power.
The Industrial Revolution mechanized and industrialized British technology, allowing them to manufacture materials such as textiles much faster, and on a larger scale. Britain was then able to export these finished products to its colonies.
Britain, unlike other European nations, was less focused on pushing their religion onto their colonies. Spain and France were huge believers of converting others into Christianity, and while the British believed their way of life, culture and education/parliamentary systems were better and implemented them in their colonies, they never really forced their religion onto others. Britain was more about gaining economic power and wealth. This seemed to be more tolerable to the indigenous peoples then forcing religion on them.
They also had a huge availability of coal, and much of the coal was located near the sea, so it could be easily and cheaply transported to elsewhere by boat. By the late 18th century, there were also new technologies that allowed British farmers to produce more agriculture. Crop rotation, the discovery of nitrogen as a fertilizer and many other discoveries allowed the population to grow. Many of the people then moved to the cities, fueled industrialization and contributed as a source of labour for the Industrial Revolution.
Britain also had a huge advantage: the resources of the its large colonial empire. Britain's Royal Navy was very powerful, and it dominated trade overseas. This led to a peace of mind for factory owners, because they knew that their exports abroad were safely transported. Colonies abroad also provided British industrialists with opportunities to trade Indian teas, Chinese silks and West Indian sugar. These goods could be exchanged for industrial products produced in Britain. The British Navy, as mentioned before, was one of the strongest in the world. Their weapons were also highly superior to anything the indigenous peoples of other lands had ever seen, giving them a strong military advantage. These weapons allowed them to win wars and squash revolts in India and China. Britain had many advantages that allowed them to conquer most of the world and become a wealthy and successful Imperialist nation.