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The Initial Impacts of the Industrial Revolution: An “Astonishing Reversal” – 1771–1850

In: Technological Revolutions and the Periphery

Author

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  • Eduardo da Motta e Albuquerque

    (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais)

Abstract

The mechanization of the textile production in Great Britain led the structural changes behind the “astonishing reversal” which was the transformation of India in an importer of cotton textiles – an important step in the reconfiguration of the center-periphery divide. Triggered in 1771, this technological revolution had among its sources a learning of techniques originating from the East, especially from India. Its initial impact included an expansion of slavery for the production of cotton, with long-lasting consequences in Africa and in the Americas. The global diffusion of cotton industrialization is a puzzle for Beckert (Empire of cotton: a global history. Vintage Books, New York, 2014). This chapter investigates that puzzle, after evaluating the impact of slavery as a form of cotton production and the effects of cheap British textiles on previous producing regions. The propagation of textile industrialization is related to changes at the center – the maturing of an industry of textile machines – and at the periphery – a delayed formation of absorption capacity at uneven speeds. This chapter evaluates the arrival and initial diffusion of the mechanized textile industry in India, China, Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, identifying its uneven spread.

Suggested Citation

  • Eduardo da Motta e Albuquerque, 2023. "The Initial Impacts of the Industrial Revolution: An “Astonishing Reversal” – 1771–1850," Contributions to Economics, in: Technological Revolutions and the Periphery, chapter 0, pages 43-74, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:conchp:978-3-031-43436-5_3
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-43436-5_3
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