NATS 1840 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Industrial Revolution, Mercantilism, Feudalism
15 Nov 2015
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Sc/nats 1840 lecture 6 - the struggle to control capital the environment as a pawn in a global game. Industrial revolution, technological and management based change, explosion in production and consumption. Political and economic forces, attitude towards the environment, natural objects as resources for exploitation. Mercantilism: economic system, nations maintain a positive balance of trade, more exports than imports, hoard specie (gold or silver) Industrial revolution, mass and factor production dominate, deskilled worker, lower wages, cheap production, larger scale. Agricultural workers displaced, work in urban areas, value of income decreases. England industrialized over 18th and 19th centuries: wood shortage and coal, concentrated power, steam engine, printing, dying, iron making, abundance of natural resources, cast iron. Textiles, ample supply of materials, increasing demand, increased production. Displaced agricultural laborers too poor to provide market for textiles, colonial markets crucial. Capitalist investment in land and overseas ventures like mills and factories.
