World History › Section Q · The Atlantic world and a global economy › Topic Q.7
Capitalism and the first Industrial Revolution
In the late 1700s new ideas about free markets and new machines driven by water and steam began to remake Britain, and then the world. This topic follows the shift from mercantilism to capitalism, asks why industry took off in Britain first, and weighs how it was tied to slavery, empire and workers' resistance.
In this topic
- From mercantilism to capitalism
- Adam Smith's case for markets
- Worked example: why did industry start in Britain?
- Cotton and the factory
- Coal, iron and steam
- Worked example: following the cotton
- Slavery and capitalism: a debate
- Workers push back
- Marx's critique
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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