Lesson 13: The industrial revolutionSummary sentence: The industrial revolution was symptomatic of economic prosperity, an improvement in working and living conditions and an increase in wages.Question: Why was England the first country to industrialize?The Industrial Revolution brought great things to Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. England was the first to industrialize for three reasons; availability of natural resources, population and war. Natural resources were very abundant in England, which was a huge advantage. The growing population provided more potential buyers for the English economy. The Napoleonic Wars were over in England and instances where the army rarely had to get involved were rare, making it the perfect time for a revolution. These combined qualities that England possessed created a strong foundation for an industrial revolution that would benefit England forever. The availability of natural resources was the primary reason why the English were able to industrialize first. England was the first to take the risk of relying on new technologies; this gave them a head start in the coal and iron mining industry. This head start in mining created a cycle, the iron England mined could be used to make machines that made the iron tools, which were powered by the coal, which the tools mined. This cycle greatly benefited England, not least because of England's vast river transport options, which also allowed them to improve their economic well-being. Natural resources contributed greatly to England's success in becoming the first European nation to industrialize.b. The growing population in England also contributed to England becoming the center of attention on aspects of life in England in the 18th and 19th centuries.GeographyA,1. Deposits and goods began in the south of England but began to spread northwards during the 19th century.2. Transportation in England in the late 18th and 19th centuries began to grow more and more as the cotton textile industry grew.B,1. The Austrian and Ottoman empires appear poor on the map due to their lack of proper transportation. The countries that seem rich are Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.2. There is a difference between Northern Europe and Southern Europe; Southern Europe appears much poorer than the North due to its distance from Central Europe, the center of industrialization. 3. Where coal deposits are found, these are the same places where emerging industrial zones are found.