Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Publication
    Roots of the Industrial Revolution
    (University College Dublin. School of Economics, 2015-10) ; ;
    We analyze factors explaining the very different patterns of industrialization across the 42 counties of England between 1760 and 1830. Against the widespread view that high wages and cheap coal drove industrialization, we find that industrialization was restricted to low wage areas, while energy availability (coal or water) had little impact Instead we find that industrialization can largely be explained by two factors related to the human capability of the labour force. Instead of being composed of landless labourers, successful industrializers had large numbers of small farms, which are associated with better nutrition and height. Secondly, industrializing counties had a high density of population relative to agricultural land, indicating extensive rural industrial activity: counties that were already reliant on small scale industry, with the technical and entrepreneurial skills this generated, experienced the strongest industrial growth. Looking at 1830s France we find that the strongest predictor of industrialization again is quality of workers shown by height of the population, although market access and availability of water power were also important.
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  • Publication
    Precocious Albion: a new interpretation of the British industrial revolution
    (University College Dublin. School of Economics, 2013-09) ; ;
    Why was Britain the cradle of the Industrial Revolution? Answers vary: some focus on resource endowments, some on institutions, some on the role of empire. In this paper, we argue for the role of labour force quality or human capital. Instead of dwelling on mediocre schooling and literacy rates, we highlight instead the physical condition of the average British worker and his higher endowment of skills. These advantages meant that British workers were more productive and better paid than their Continental counterparts and better equipped to capitalize on the technological opportunities and challenges confronting them. non-peer-reviewed
      2278
  • Publication
    Appendix to "Precocious Albion: a new interpretation of the British industrial revolution"
    (University College Dublin. School of Economics, 2013-09) ; ;
    This appendix gives a formal derivation of the model described in paper WP13/11. non-peer-reviewed
      139