eli5: why wasn’t there an Industrial Revolution at an earlier point in time?

1.07K views

Was it a lack of manpower? Was it geographic circumstances? Why couldn’t civilizations like, say, Babylon or Rome have an Industrial Revolution?

In: 448

48 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

No one here is mentioning the increased use of coal. Fossil fuels and steam power is what made the industrial revolution possible. Coal allowed steel to be refined at scale. It powered the looms that made fabric cheap. That is the key difference.

You are viewing 1 out of 48 answers, click here to view all answers.