The Mechanics of the Industrial Revolution

Although there are many competing explanations for the Industrial Revolution, has been no effort to evaluate them econometrically. This paper analyzes how very different patterns of growth across counties England between 1760s and 1830s can be explained by a wide range potential variables. We find that industrialization occurred in areas began with low wages but high mechanical skills, whereas other variables, such as literacy, banks, proximity coal, have little explanatory power. Against view living standards were stagnant during we real rose sharply industrializing north declined previously prosperous south.