The First Industrial Revolution

From the 1770s onwards Britain experienced an economic growth pattern that was distinctive in world history. The economy did not boom or bust, innovation did not happen and remain dormant, but rather both steadily and continuously grew. What we see in the eighteenth century is the emergence of what Joel Mokyr calls the first "enlightened economy." Progress rested on knowledge and it too expanded throughout the century and into the next.

This guide provides manuscripts and printed books that document the contours of the knowledge economy emerging in Britain in the 1770s. These resources offer insights into transformations in textile production, coal mining, and steam engines in the mechanization of industry.

For more resources on British history, see...

Historical writings based upon the Leeds collection:

This guide is adapted from a web page first hosted on UCLA's Institute for Digital Research and Education, made possible, in part, by NEH funding. It aims to document the contours of Britain's knowledge economy by providing manuscripts and printed books from the period that can be searched for research into transformations in textile production, coal mining, and steam engines in the mechanization of industry.

Primary Investigator: Professor Margaret Jacob

Additional support has been provided by:

• History Dept at UCLA
• UCLA Library Digital Collections
• Institute for Digital Research and Education
• University of Leeds, Special Collections