Understanding the Industrial Revolution Through National Technology Systems: An Epilogue

Haris Kitsikopoulos and Joshua L. Rosenbloom ()
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Haris Kitsikopoulos: Independent Scholar; Clinical Professor (retired), NYU
Joshua L. Rosenbloom: Iowa State University, Ames, IA and NBER

A chapter in The First Industrial Revolution and Global Divergence, 2026, pp 339-349 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The epilogue reaffirms the book’s premise: explaining the Industrial Revolution requires understanding why steam power first emerged in Britain. This breakthrough, though contingent to some extent, was enabled by Britain’s unique combination of factors—growing urban coal demand, abundant deep coal seams, artisanal skills, and an experimental mindset. Rising coal prices drove mining expansion and the search for drainage solutions beyond continental methods which were inapplicable in British mines. Early steam engines were inefficient, but cheap coal made them competitive and allowed incremental improvements that greatly enhanced their efficiency. While some conditions existed elsewhere, no country matched Britain’s mix. Missing factors and varied obstacles explain other nations’ slower adoption of the British technological paradigm, including steam power, as reflected in sectoral and aggregate performance metrics reviewed in this volume.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-26359-9_9

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