Britain and America Battle for Technological Prowess in the Eighteenth Century | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Britain and America Battle for Technological Prowess in the Eighteenth Century

Overview

America was founded to serve British commercial interests. British mercantilism (an economic system based on colonialism and a favorable balance of trade) aimed at orchestrating economic development in the colonies in the name of nation building. But by the late 1700s, America was agitating for a change from the old order. The debate over whether Americans should manufacture their own goods, and if so how they would do it, went to the heart of the colonies' desire for independence from Britain and their fear of succumbing to the excesses of a society based on manufacturing. While the debate went on, an unskilled America eagerly sought the technological know-how of a home country less than eager to give up its advantage.

Background

The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the 1760s, and brought fundamental changes in the way people worked and where they lived. The core achievement of the revolution was to apply new sources of power to producing work and goods. Where sources of power had been humans and animals, the revolution substituted motors powered by fossil fuels. Manual tools such as sickles and foot-pedaled looms were replaced by power tools that needed less human guidance.

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