“Britain: How a Small Island Invented the Industrial Revolution?”

“Britain: How a Small Island Invented the Industrial Revolution?”

The first lecture in the “Five Stories of Wealth” series

Why did the Industrial Revolution happen in England — and why at the end of the 18th century? Why not in China, Russia or America?

In the first lecture of Pavel Usanov’s course, we will explore the conditions that made England the first country to achieve modern economic growth, and examine the role played by political institutions, technology and the events of the 18th century.

The Industrial Revolution is one of the key subjects in research on economic growth — research for which Joel Mokyr received half of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

In the following lectures, we will explore the economic history of the United States, the EU, India and Russia.