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It seems that all we ever talk about on this podcast is the Industrial Revolution. There’s a reason for that. I think the Industrial Revolution is THE reason British history is important for a wider audience. The changes that Britain went through over that time period—including the increasing use of fossil fuels, the rise of large urban centers, financial capitalism, colonialism, and so on—are the marks of the modern era.
And yet although people like me assume that the facts of the Industrial Revolution are well known, they’re not. I don’t know if my undergrads know really what the Industrial Revolution is beyond some vague sense that it’s a massive technological change to methods of production.
So we’re going through the Industrial Revolution again!
In class, I’m teaching from Robert Allen’s The Industrial Revolution: a Very Short Introduction. But also check out my book lists!