Why Britain Advanced Before Other European Nations | Thomas Sowell
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Thomas Sowell is an American economist and political commentator. He taught economics at Cornell University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and since 1980 at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he is currently a Senior Fellow.
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Britain industrialised and became inventive and entrepreneurial, the rest of the world was years behind. Wealth has to be created, not handed out by Governments.
France and Germany were usually ahead of Britain scientifically, militarily, industrially and economically. But, yeah, their inability to govern themselves sensibly pretty much screwed that up for them.
I think hypothetically wealth could be handed out by Governments, in a fairer society. Of course those Governments would have to be none corrupt and well...
@@TheGrimAuditor Gov'ts are helmed by humans. Power corrupts esp as statism. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. (Lord Ashton)
Great Britain has developed via murder, exploitation, and theft. Period.
@@garrisonthad None of those things foster development. Stable government, solid currency, morality, fair play, and justice lead to development. All of those things are driven internally by the culture. Egypt received a large influx of gold from Mansa Musa, and Spain from the Americas. Neither were helped much by it. Our modern economies rely on oil. It was there for centuries and did not make the Arabs rich. Camels don't drink oil. If anything, the resource rich undeveloped countries have been exploiting the west.
The Royal Navy, by force of arms, ended the transatlantic slave trade and freed many 1000's of slaves. One of my country's greatest achievements but often swept under the carpet today.
Great Britain, one of the nations who brought the slave trade to the new world. Yes, one of the first to end their own participation in it.
Lol
@@maureenhankins1411 lol slavery was ubiquitous with human history. I am also pretty sure indigineous american populations had slaves.
@@maureenhankins1411 I know ! Wonderful isn’t it.
Great Britain should ask for reparations from those who benefit from their ancestors being freed.
It probably does not require pointing out,
However, the British had the foresight not just to use existing waterways to move goods around, but through hard labour, dig by hand new waterways for the transportation of heavy materials. They were called “Canals”
Therefore it was not simply a case that Britain was blessed with natural rivers, but also man made rivers, through sheer hard work, and forward planning.
And was likely the inspiration for railroads. Rail tracks existed for centuries, usually made out of wood to roll carts down from the mines to smithies and workshops. Someone had the bright idea one day to stick a steam engine on a cart and send it along a nice, flat surface. Just like a narrowboat.
Hm in the Netherlands, we had canals for 200 years, and the industrialisation took only off in the 1850.
Well I think we got the Irish in to do that didn't we?
@@WellBoared Right this is what everyone thinks. Every single Brit just put their feet up while they let their colonies build everything for them
@@WellBoared the hard navvies
Short version - Britain geographically lucked out, then the British people worked hard with the resources they had which put them ahead of the curve. Which is what I have been saying as a kid. Nice to have it confirmed by someone so learned. 😊
Equally, the Normans ended the parochial regional concerns of the English in 1066 and then the French Kings of England ended the tribal and Clan affiliations of the Welsh in 1282, Cromwell did the same to the Irish in 1649 and largely the lowland Scots did it to the Highland Scots in 1745. When the British fought the French during the Seven Years War or the French and Indian War, they were fighting a mediaeval political system they'd overcome a century before.
Britain didn't 'luck out' geographically at all. Britain's success was primarily down to an insane number of great thinkers and inventors relative to its size. In population terms, Britain's main rivals were far larger and better resourced.
And now we are a country made of coal and surrounded by fish but we can't dig the coal and we can't catch the fish. To top it off we have foreigners forcing weak leaders to erase our history, smash our statues and change our place names and every poster or tv ad has a black person on it totally ignoring other minorities.
@@gw7624 This is true in many ways, although it was our geography and climate the enabled us to capitalise on this human capital. Thinkers need time to think, inventors need time to invent, scientists need time to experiment etc. To have this you need to move beyond subsistence farming, since no one is going to be doing any of the above if they have to spend 14+ hours a day toiling in a bearly fertile field to grow scraps of food. Our mild and wet climate is very conducive of agriculture, so creating a food surplas was not too difficult once we got smart with our farming - the enclosure act etc. If our climate was like that of the Sahara or Siberia we probably would not have had a chance to progress, as all our time and energy would have been spent just trying to survive. One thing that we can absolutely claim as being down to our own efforts is the emphasis we placed on Education early on - Oxford was built when the Incas were still about! (My brain exploded when I learnt that!) By creating the worlds first university (and then others like Cambridge not long after) we created institutions where those great thinkers and inventors could gather to think and invent. The last time anyone did anything even remotely similar would have been the ancient Greeks or the Libary of Alexandria. Once the industrial revolution got started innovation skyrocketed as innovation meant profits, national pride, empire, fame and recognition etc. Another thing we can claim as our own was our attitude to progress and innovation. We embraced it (for the most part). Other nations, such as Russia under the Tzars actively resisted it, which is why they ended up being so backwards in comparison.
@@iainbaker6916 There are plenty of countries in the world, even in Europe, that have better climates for farming than Britain. France and Italy for example have warmer and in Italy's case, wetter climates than Britain. Furthermore, *all* the major European nations have more arable land than Britain, and Britain's soil is about average for fertility.
The importance of the inland artificial waterways can not be overstated. The canal network with its narrowboats played a key role in development of the nation.
I think the importance of canals has been overstated here. Britain began to really take strides when they invented railways. Canals were expensive and tended to freeze in winter
@@timcahill4676 Railways bought the canals and imposed a 4mph limit, so that they couldn't compete with railways. Might take a week for a narrow boat to travel 100 miles, but there were hundreds of boats arriving hourly.. Railways more restricted.
Thanks, was going to say just this.
The British made their own 'luck' with backbreaking labour.
Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations tells us that it cost the same to ship a ton of goods by wagon 100 miles in Britain, or 10,000 miles to Trincomalee the great port of India. This is a fair comparison of shipping cost by water vs land, before the railroads. A canal barge can carry 20 or 30 tons and one horse can move it, in a pinch one man can move it. A horse might move half a ton by wagon if the road is flat and not hilly.
Canal barges continued in use long after the railroads came in because they were so much cheaper. This was especially important to bulk cargos like coal, grain, lumber, anything bulky and heavy that was not under time constraint.
I totally agree, when the English missionaries came to New Zealand, the natives hadn't even cleared the rivers neither did they use them for transport after being here allegedly 800 years! Quite unbelievable!
Much to the chagrin of many " sophisticates ", western cultures have brought an unsurpassed level of achievement and prosperity that continues to this day.
At the expense of other people. Why destroy others to gain control?
Why only complain when Whites do it?
@@bishoponyembu9173 You might ask the same of every culture in the world. Name for us, if you can, one tribe, clan, or other group that hasn't conflicted with a neighboring group.
@@bishoponyembu9173 Every race and culture under the sun since the beginning of time has invaded, colonized, enslaved and oppressed. Looking back at history, being colonized by the British as opposed to others was a lottery win.
@@bishoponyembu9173 They did not; there were far more people when the Brits started running places then there were before. Have you looked at the population stat's for India, regions of Africa etc? The Brits were the only folks trying to stamp out slavery the world over, at great cost to themselves in blood and treasure.
Britain 🇬🇧 truly did a lot of great things and gave a lot of positive things to the world that we should all be thankful to Britain for. I have such love, admiration, and deep respect for Britain.🇬🇧❤️
The Opium wars?
@@mikecain6947 oh you big silly 🙃
The opium wars turned Singapore Hong Kong into glittering Metropoli and the Qing dynasty had plenty of opportunity to trade with Britain in the 1790s but they rejected their offers. They should've bought the clocks and regency era brick a brack while they had the chance.
@@Feersumenjinn Can you sanitize the Opium Wars? I have heard the Boer War sanitized.
@@TheRedBaron1917 That is how you sanitize the opium wars? You must have something better than that.
And look at it now: The British have handed their country over to foreign invaders without a fight.
Not quite yet.
@@JustDaniel6764 I genuinely hope you're right.
Sadly, Ireland too.
@@harryselwind True....but at least in Ireland, some of us are trying to fight back.
at the end, australia, canada , new zealand, singapore can help
because same law system
I am very proud to be first generation Canadian of British heritage. The world is a better place today because of Great Britain.
Thank you, Cousin.
former colonies of britain says otherwise.
most of the border conflicts and conflicts between two community in world are a result of divide & rule policy of Britain.
world war 1 is result of the sibling rivalry of the royal family.
britain was the cancer of the world.
First generation American here, with an anglo father. I couldn't agree more with your statement. I went to a park on the border with Canada. Big open gate boarder with the following inscribed on it " Brethren in a common dwelling, children of a common mother" " May these gates never be closed"
*terrible place beacuse of Britain
@@zanykangaroo He never made a typos in his comment, *better* is the correct word. We wouldn't be living our modern lives if not for Britain.
We were a nation of skilled craftsmen with pride in our work, even our names were a reflection of our endeavour such as Fletcher, Cooper, Roper etc. We met every invasion (Roman, Angle, Saxon, Viking, Norman) with resistance but got the sh*t kicked out of us enough to learn it is better to give it out than receive it. You are reading this in English as a direct result, you are welcome.
Im afraid payoff for last 300 years of empire is coming
The first point doesn't really link the second point. I put it to you that you seem to be a person with a tendency to violent behaviour. My pleasure.
@@worlddd7777 No, it's the Americans job to soak that up.
@@worlddd7777 we are finally going to get some benefit from the massive investment in foreign lands?
Sweet.
@@captainl-ron4068 U already did, for centuries now, but no matter, Britain is becoming more and more irrelevant on world stage, just too bad we will never see justice for millions killed and millions plundered
Greetings from England Thomas Sowell!
Britain may be comparitively small. But we didn't have these waterways mentioned in this video handed to us, thousands of canals were built with technological advancement and achievements following, then rail... It didn't just happen, it was driven by exceptional people and a country that encouraged and rewarded entrepreneurial people...
"a country that encouraged and rewarded entrepreneurial people" - Absolutely. A situation which apparently did not exist in countries like France, where bureaucracy was a burden on those who might otherwise have been able to pursue their ideas.
People like Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Yeah.. ye'r wonderful.
@@michaelthwaite3282 For the last 50 years we've been in that bureaucracy too, its why innovation fell off a cliff and Britain was put in a box with "financial services" written on it... The USA has benefitted and been a brain drain over that time, everyone who wanted to be that crazy inventor had to leave the UK to do it. I'm hoping that now the EU is in our rear view mirror those crazy shed based inventors still exists and are still carrying out their own entrapenurial life, and can be encouraged back out into trying things again...
@@daveofyorkshire301 absolutely correct
Interesting how decentralized governments that respect property rights and practice legal impartiality lead to more economic satisfaction. Especially when they possess access to seaports for trade. One could easily point to a serious lack of impartiality as being the current economic situation in the United States. Central banking protectionism. The Political favoritism of special interest campaign donations. The thousand cuts from taxation and excessive regulation. It is so sad when a great power loses its way.
It's the fate of all governments.
And today China owns lease to most every port in America.
Agreed. The American Empire is going to end as a victim of it's own internal economic corruption. Moats are no longer a result of building a formidable business, but instead determined by who can get money into the right politician's pockets. Case in point: the net worth of some career politicians vs their annual congressional income.
Britain industrialised off the wealth provided by the empire, which was ran in a rather corporatist arrangement between wealthy business interests and the government. Granted there were absolutely fantastic scientific and industrial developments which deserve credit, but let's not forget what really fuelled it.
The British government really didn't respect property rights impartially, they acted to centralise land under major aristocrats over the course of a few hundred years. Land in England, Scotland and Wales was owned in smallholdings by the peasantry until it began to be confiscated, bought and seized by aristocrats who had the backing of the courts and government. The right to gleaning being revoked was the final straw in one of the biggest land grabs in history.
A great power losing its way, I do not think so. Everything you touch has been designed and spec'd out by a US firm. That TV, phone, computer, printer, electrical power, GPS, all of it based on US business specifications. China does not own that much, they own a whole lot of nothing, so not much to talk about. Half their factory production is other people's products but they do not own any of those companies. They have 5 years of peace before all that they own is revealed to be worthless, they have too few young people, far too many old people, largest credit bubble in history, and no way to pay for any of it.
I would add that private land ownership and a constitutional monarchy-by-consent (as opposed to an absolute monarchy as seen in mainland europe) were also powerful factors.
Agreed. The issue that everyone is ignoring.
He mentioned that. The Civil War was fought for this. Cromwell tried to convince Charles I to rule together with Parliament. It was no go. Charles believed in the Divine right of Kings. So they cut his head off.
I read somewhere of a doctoral thesis exactly on that : the idea that one man's home is his castle, ie. respect of private property.
Private Land Ownership and the concept of property, through Calvinism especially, was a huge contributing factor that's often overlooked, as well.
Our monochy always criticised but there are 47 in total today. 3 in Africa. Yet constant cries that it is outdated....from prople who don't even know what it does 🙄
The British, especially the Scottish, were behind some really important innovations and inventions that helped the Industrial Revolution, which started in Britain. The telephone, the steam engine, the Spinning Jenny, the power loom plus the steam train and railways were just some examples. Manufacturing was a major factor in the rise of Britain. There were many countries who had further inventions of course, but those early inventions were critical.
Isaac newton is the most clever British man?
@@joellukeovercomingvictory17 There a many very influential and clever Brits from back in the days of industrialisation. Newton was from an older era than the industrial revolution.
🇬🇷🇪🇺🇬🇷🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇪🇺🇬🇷🇪🇺🇬🇷🇪🇺🇬🇷🇪🇺🇬🇷🇪🇺🇬🇧🇬🇧👋👋
Maybe its geolocation
Of britania .....allowed
British to build navy
And explore the world
England spain france
Portugal 🇬🇧🇫🇷🇪🇸🇵🇹🇳🇱
Geo location favours coast line peoole to build ships
🇦🇺🇬🇧🏴🇫🇷🇺🇦🇪🇸🇪🇺🇵🇹🇳🇱🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
The English more than the Scottish, the rest I agree
All those inventions, apart from the telephone, were invented by Englishmen. Many brilliant Scots, of course, but .....
I’m very proud to be English, to be British. I wouldn’t want to be born from any other nation.
Your English is a bit odd though. "I wouldn't want to have been born in any other nation". I acknowledge that the present perfect maybe dying out in common speech nowadays but "born from" is unusual to my ears.
Same proud to be British
@@dac545j You mean 'may be', not 'maybe' ;-)
@@dac545j Maybe he meant 'borne'?
@@dac545j 'Born from' in this instance is metaphorical in implication. People often say that they are born *from* a nation rather than born *in* a nation when the nation is viewed in terms of motherland or ancestral culture rather than a literal geographical location.
Thank you Mr Sowell!! I appreciate your work sir!!!
regardless of any "dividing factors", i think Mr. Sowell has done more than anyone to rectify the perversions of social & economic world history that have promoted worldwide disparity and the perpetual conflict resulting therefrom. thus, to me he is a true patriot, not for a mere nation but for all humankind!
also, his writings should replace all historical & economic texts in contemporary education.
Dividing factors?
Sowell is a Patriot. Practically every revolutionary war Patriot defended slavery and owned slaves. Sowell is a house servant to those Patriot slave owners. He should be a Patriot of real freedom fighters like Nat Turner, Sitting Bull, and John Brown. But instead he’s a puppet/servant.
@@garrisonthad your a puppet and servant to your mindset
@@garrisonthad No so, I am English. I know that whilst some of the US revolutionaries owned slaves, the vast majority did not. It was the same in any slave owning society. That is to say, most societies on earth before, inte ali, the Royal Navy and colonial administrators put an end to it.
If you know the history of your country you would know England ended slavery before America and was in the verge of forcing our colonial forefathers to end it as well. This was a major influence on deciding to separate from colonial powers and start an independent nation.
Britian also improved it's infant mortality rate at the time of it's rise to power. Quantity has a quality as well.
Thomas sowell does his homework! A tireless researcher!
Cudos to his research assistant as well. She and Sowell are absolute beasts!!
The secret of success: Work.
Utterly BRILLIANT ---
SOWELL is a blessing beyond measure.
Amazing, a rational view of British history, certainly unusual today.
It’s amazing how smart TS is.
God bless Thomas Sowell. A gift to humanity that keeps on giving!
Without Britain no US.
Without Great Britain there wouldn't be very much in terms of global development, without the Industrial Revolution the whole world would be a radically different place. Regardless of your feelings about colonialism the enduring effect has been more positive than negative in terms of advancement and scientific understanding. The MagnaCarta is the underpinning principle of many of our varying developed nations
@@mickymondo7463 I'd put the Declaration of Arbroath before that - Magna Carta was just about Lords
@@mickymondo7463 Oxford provisions 1258
parliamentary victory in the civil war 1649
glorious revolution removal of absolutism 1688 > Magna Carta 1215
And France. The settlers were majority English but the Anglo Frankish rivalry led to the settlers having the chance to break free
The United States coulda been French
Highly intellectual article, and you have to listen to every single sentence closely, as each sentence is an education in history and culture
Great comment
True... Very True
Hardly " highly intellectual", just well researched. He has not said anything that has not been said before.
@@hunterluxton5976then, maybe YOU should have made the video....
I am a descendant of a British convict who was transported to Australia. Mine like most convicts were transported for very minor (slaves) crimes. They could get their freedom back after 7 years of building Roads and forts for the successful growth and defense of a outpost of the British empire. This alone made for the successful infrastructural set up of what is the very large continent of Australia.
I'm British and God Bless every aussie.
@Flintlockon not all Aussies are British though...
Short and concise. I wish history had been as well presented in high school as this
No country has done more. For the good.
And bad at same time
@@worlddd7777 plenty have done more for the 'bad'.
I think the English sense of curiosity, scientific inquiry, adventure, bravery, and entrepreneurship had a lot to do with their success.
Grace Collins - Absolutely right.
@Haung Jo Now now little chinese troll. Run along.
Grace, please. It’s not English. It’s British. I suppose that’ll have to be for another video.
@@eddieboy4667 I was referring to the English character in particular deliberately.
@@gracecollins8415 I’m sure the Scots contributed similar attributes to the expansion of the empire during this period. Perhaps some research on this would help expand your understanding of the success of the Empire. This only happened after 1707. The Union.
India has to a surprising degree absorbed much British legal and political tradition, surprising in the sense that India is so culturally, historically and racially different. True it is not so long, only 73 years, since India gained independence, never-the-less India retains the adversarial political and legal system of the British.
Yet weirdly enough India hasn't really benefited from any of it, likely due to a corrupt political upper class. India a mature democracy but if all the choices are bad then the institutions don't matter as no matter the quality of the train, if the driver doesn't want to move forward it won't move forward.
@@-haclong2366 Don't forget that India was ruled by the anti-property rights Socialist Party for many years as well.
@@-haclong2366 : India seems to me to have improved a great deal since the 1970s, when I lived in Delhi, the poverty was shocking. Today it seems much better for hundreds of millions, better education, better access to medicine, better hygiene and better housing. Not sure how much influence the adoption of British systems can be credited, but very possibly more than is popular to admit. However, in Britain the British politicians and courts seem to be rejecting their own system, I suspect that will prove to be a big mistake. It is fashionable to think that anyone who is now dead was wrong about everything and that they, the living, know best about everything. That is egotistical and very very foolish.
@@-haclong2366 India inherited bureacracy from England.
India is special in many ways. It is around six times the area of Spain and used to be much bigger prior to "Partition". It has been subject to all kinds of influences. many associate India with "curries" but much of that cuising came from Persia (present-day Iran). Also, chillies came via the Portugese from South America so, like the British, they are quite used to adding to their own culture when they spot a good idea.
Impressively thorough explanation of a multifaceted subject. Superb research and thought must have gone into this. Great lesson in economic factors determining National outcomes. This is another example of why Economists make fabulous Intelligence Analysts, and Aids for Policy Decision Support. Superior video.
Being an island, England didn't have to sink so much into land armies for self defense. Large land armies are a gigantic money pit and keep men from producing economic growth. Navies are expensive too, but they require less men and they build a society adept at conducting international trade.
England is on an island, it isn’t an island.
Eloquent sir. However, please when commenting on British matters, refer to her as Britain. Not England.
England is not Britain
This island was and is protected by the royal navy. Everyone tried conquer UK, but failed (last one was 1066)
@@eddieboy4667 Stfu. From England.
These geopolitical analyses are so good.
Thomas Sowell is a very smart man. He will not be fully appreciated until his passing, whenever that may be. But his work is well beyond any intellectual of today. I plan on reading Walter Williams next and then Milton.
Well beyond any intellectual of today? How did you conclude this?
@@PaulWashington.. Prove him wrong if you don't agree.
@@DudeSilad if you require proof ,you are as lost as he.
@Paul. You don't know anyone, do you?
This was a fair objective appraisal by a blackman, without a chip in his shoulder. Looks like a book worth reading. Thank you.
Two words Royal Navy!
If anyone wants a rest from Woke and at least a hint of the seafaring life in the Age of Sail read the Thom. Kydd novels. It's the Royal Navy versus Bonaparte, who was a much worse threat to the existence of Britain than we might remember. Thank God for Nelson and Wellington and countless other unnamed heroes at sea and on land 🇬🇧
@@hannannah1uk When I was stationed overseas read an Excellent article on The Battle of Trafalgar had to be about 15 pages long always had the highest Respect for The RN being an American. Lord Nelson performed spectacularly also at the Battle of the Nile. So much is owed to the senior service and yes they're certainly Heroes.
If France had their way, the USA would have been at most a decade-long footnote on how to defeat an empire in detail, as Washington would end up a head shorter.
That war was really a huge deal for everyone.
@@georgesykes394 You should look up Sidney Smith
'That man made me miss my destiny' N. Bonaparte
@@juliantheapostate8295 Another Fine RN officer.
Thank you sir, for educating me and others, about the truth of history, economics, slavery, civil rights, feminism, etc.
Man's a treasure, Great narration too..from 🇬🇧 UK
Sowell tidies up the mess left by the poor explanations from the likes of Jared Diamond and others. His explanations and depth of knowledge on race and economics is an example to all scholars. It is a shame the academy often ignored his work - it may have stemmed nonsense explanations such as race realism and other superstitions.
My house - "The wind may blow through it, the storm may enter, the rain may enter, but the King may not". The English understood rights, freedoms and liberty.
Marvellous man.
Thank you, an innovative, in-depth explanation for Great Britain’s contributions to the World and humanity.
this was my O level in the 1960s. We learnt about the advantages of climate, position and natural resources, plus being able to resist invasion as an island. Then we had inventors and the role of religion. But also the enclosures where many were dispossessed of their land rights to enable more productive farming and became an exploited work force in the factories. The govt played a part by passing the enclosures acts and overseas trade. Lots of reasons.
This guys wisdom just keeps on coming.
Dr Sowell brings geography and less considered factors to make history understandable (and usable) to students
Always geograpy, as geopolitics go through history
even when he rewrites History
@@jh5kl said by you, a troll?
@@AkiraNakamoto refused by you, a simp?
@@jh5kl please provide facts. Thank you. God Bless 🇺🇸 America!!!
I think one of the most important reason for Englands taking the lead in the Industrial revolution was the Reformation and the breaking of the power of Rome on every thing that happened in the country
I'd just like to say mr Thomas Sowell.. when i look at you i don't see a colour.. i see a individual that has the power to not let nothing define him your a real man of this world.. you are a true inspiration
Thank you 🙏 once again Dr. Thomas Sowell. A very Merry Christmas and happy New Year 🎆. In Christ Jesus Name Amen 🙏. All day long Yahoo
Appreciate y’all all day long. Yahoo
Appreciate y’all all day long. Yahoo
I've been thinking how important it is for geography and history to be taught together, then I found that Thomas thinks the same. Great.
Two things put the British Empire on the map, Issac Newton and the industrial revolutions (steam engine - James Watt).
Also accurate chronometers
@@stevenfraser1842
John Harrison.
That's the reason slave labor became a blight. Why use human engines that tire out, age, wear out, deplete and demolish an entire ethnic group. Use mechanical devices.. Sadly other less industrial advanced were like not so fast buddy, we need income from free labor. So its our turn so sayeth the new Americans... if they were paid some sort of wage for 1,000 + yrs or (10) generations to purchase freedom or be released after 7 years like the Bible says, Americans sordid past would not be it's present financial burden....
@@stevenfraser1842 They certainly save costs on shipping.
@@ckelly9747 Actually your wrong on American slavery. While slavery was extant in the American Republic from its founding, it didn't take off until the invention of the cotton gin. American cotton had so many seeds in it that it was not profitable to grow even when slave labor was used. The cotton gin changed all that by mechanically separating the picked cotton from the seeds in it. Cotton farming took off and labor was needed to pick the cotton. In the North, the land was so fertile that farmers could not bring in the harvests fast enough and there was much spoilage or crop left in the fields. Their solution was the McCormick reaper which is another addition to the era of mechanized farming (even though these machines were horse drawn). Americans didn't switch to mechanical harvesting of cotton on a wide scale until the 1950s. This resulted in the northward movement of large numbers of blacks. The abolition movement started in England and was carried on its own merits and not tied to the political economy.
Hong Kong and Jamaica were both British colonies with British laws.
*Maybe Jamaica. But have u not been following happenings in hongkong* ??
What's your point?
I wonder why Jamaica didn’t have more success. I guess it was because Hong Kong became a trade hub in part due to location.
Hint: The intangibles, history and traditions. Any difference there?
@Operation RED Sea Then give it to Russia after.
Every time this man speaks I thank God that there are still men like him.
BTW, the word 'slave' is derived from the word 'Slav'.
Yes, 'white' slaves. But you never hear it.
Yeah and Germans were slaves, and French were slaves, and Britons were slaves, Spaniards were slaves, Meds were slaves. Everybody was enslaved at some point.
That is not true word slave in English language comes from Latin word for slave sclavus. Ancient Slavs called themselves Slovyani, Slaveni. Because of similarities with latinized name Sclaveni it was confused that Sclavus and Sclaveni hence slave came to English language. English didn’t have much of contact with Slavs till very late. Someone might argue that Germanic groups brought that term to Britain but even that is not true because they called Slavs Wends. Root of word Slav- Slovyan is from old Slavic word slovo -word. So everyone that spoke language you could understand was Slav. It’s funny that people still believe this…
@@Cardan011 nope. Sclavus is latin in .medioeval time, the corrupted form of Latin people spoke after the fall.of the empire. And the word actually comes from slav. The real Latin (pre fall) word for slave is 'servus'.
thank you very much Mr Sowell, your positive observation, understanding and support, in particular, carries genuine significance and is greatly appreciated.
Never heard of this guy. But clearly he's a very eloquent and intelligent human being.
Thank you, Dr Sowell. Very informative and concise. I've enjoyed many of your videos (and books). Keep up the good work!
Oh, you used stock footage of my hometown! That is a very strange paring, to hear Sowell speak over my backwater nothing town. A really interesting and I believe unbiased take on why industrialisation was so quick to spread and develop in the UK. A refreshing listen!
I love Thomas Sowell.
Britains success was down to three things. An abundance of cheap coal, plentiful supplies of water, and James Watts addition of a condenser in his steam engine designs which improved the efficiency and made the engine a "must have" for mill owners, factory owners etc.
Good observation.
Also, the necessity of building a merchant navy to trade worldwide, because it didn't have access to trade in continental europe, ended up with it being a kind of Amazon of its day, taking a little cut of everything. People say Britain just stole wealth. That was Spain and Portugal, and they never prospered as a result. Britain did well largely because the people creating wealth weren't the government or the monarchs.
@@RevStickleback Excellent observation, unfortunately, most people don't see it that way. This comment has made my day.
And forth, for being isolated on island.
@@worlddd7777 Britain has never been isolated. We are insular. Going back thousands of years, there is plenty of evidence that Britain traded with other nations. If you listened to the documentary, you'd have heard of him speak of Romans, Angles and Saxons. He could also have mentioned Danes (Vikings).
This is the kind of stuff that needs to be taught in school
Word.
the internal canal network built by the navi had massive benefits for the british industrial revolution and the advance of britain as a nation. it wasn't just the external ports around the coasts but the internal hubs of these canals that moved so many important raw materials and finished products before rail that pushed the economy along. the midlands (the birthplace of the industrial revolution) is a patchwork of these canals crisscrossing the landscape showing how much britain once relied on these man made waterways.
Steve Church ..........and yet........some will claim these hardworking navi,s had white privilege
@@geoffdundee they would be ignorant of the times ,place and conditions then. they would be wrong.
That canal network linked to navigable rivers, canals were very expensive to build.
Do they still use them?
@@captainnoob4 commerce is possible( though limited) but really it's for boating trips and alternative life style choice, they are used today but to a changed purpose.
God bless you Thomas with many more years to teach us
This should be taught in schools. Never was in mine, and I went to some of the best schools in the country.
It shouldn't just be mandatory for education but listening to this would go excellently after dinner with a nice glass/cup of juice/wine/tea
I listen to these when I get home from a long walk in the park with my dog or an evening session of jiujitsu. When the body has been exhausted, the mind is more ready to openly absorb material like this.
There is a lot to be said of little Britain becoming so influential.Kinda amazing when one thinks about it.😊
Yes, David Walliams and Matt Lucas have had a big influence.
Very well explained without pointing fingers. Another factor might have been that british foreign politics in combination with it's geography kept the lands out of war since Napoleon. There is a big advantage if your wars are mostly fought in foreign lands and that's what Britain archived over the last centuries.
I’d just like to say it’s great being British! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
As a Brit I can say we advanced because we are vastly superior. We are undoubtedly gods chosen people. It's just a fact.
Quite right, I did hear that God was British too.
Philip Luty was a God among men.
Simple as
Egyptians ruled the known world for more than 2000 years. Were the British sleeping at that time?
@@jasonbourne9819 No they didn't. They ruled a small patch of their country and fleeced off the copts. Where are they now?
Krangenuts on the rivets joints made all the difference, on ships, trains and early canal boats, this small invention made by D.Myers in the 1600’s is what took Britain forward onto the world stage, often overlooked but never underestimated by people who subsequently research them, amazing amazing invention.
What are Krangenuts ? Not recognised by Google search - spelling maybe ?
I worked in International Banking, starting in the Export Credits Guarantees Department. Nowhere could the truth of this essay have been more obvious. The system of Letters of Credit, Bills of Lading, Insurance Certificates and Banker's Drafts - all backed by International Law - has facilitated trade around the world. London's Coffee Houses were at the heart of their development into banks, Lloyds of London and the Stock Exchange, foreign exchange, clearing houses, and the legal framework which made trust between traders possible. It was a wonder to behold (if tedious work).
I thought that was a medieval thing. On the continent stock exchange is still named after some medieval pub or the other way around.
Yeh and that Scotsman Paterson building the Bank of England was a gem idea.
@@101MRSPICE I worked for The Chartered Bank, which was older than The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street and was THE bank for trade with the Far East. Some of our Directors were Scottish and had directorships with many other international banks in The City. Their expertise and integrity were legendary.
Interestingly, it was not their traditional banking that resulted in its takeover by tge Standard Bank, but the cost of a failed IT project. When I was accepted into the bank, little did I know that its fate had been sealed by the computer that occupied the floor just above the Personnel Department where I had been interviewed. The computer - built after the success of data processing for Lyon's Coffee Houses - was already abandoned because it had never lived up to its promise.
Well spoken and informative.
How is this Man not an international Treasure ??
Though the whole video was great and the points spot on, I think the closing statements were such important points. The part about the intangibles
For a global version of this read: PRISONERS OF GEOGRAPHY by Tim Marshall. Excellent research on why countries exist as they are, go to war or stay at peace with each other. Best read I've had for a long while.
Thomas explains certain points and traits in a very accessible way for the average person. His videos are always interesting and his delivery is excellent
thomas sowell tells the truth
My ancestors were English. Coal and iron have been my family's source of income for 500 years. As immigrants from England, my great, great, great grandparents brought with them 3 sons who followed their father into the coal mines of Pennsylvania. In more recent years, the men in my family line have been iron and steel workers. As a child, before knowing anything about my ancestral history, I found myself fascinated by coal and coal mines, and later in life I found I had a talent for heat treating iron and steel.... which makes me wonder if iron and coal are part of my culture or am I genetically pre-wired for them?
THANK YOU SIR AND MERRY CHRISTMAS. BRITISH GAVE US COMMON LAW AND UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
Our superior seafaring skills are largely responsible, it's in the blood.
Shhhh
Seriously ? The real drivers were Banking and, indeed, seafaring skills - both lifted wholesale from the Dutch, especially with the coming of William of Orange
This is why it was so important that Sir Isaac Newton was Governor of the Bank of England: he created an impressively stable currency
Scotland was at the forefront of the industrial revolution, for such a small country it's amazing how much was achieved in the name of science, technology and medicine during the 19th century
it was the North of England that was the forefront of the industrial revolution.
@@noahcook2079 Scotland is North of England 😂
Well, the steam engine and the locomotive were invented by Cornishmen.
Puddling, in the ironworks, was invented in Fareham, near Portsmouth, albeit by a native Lancastrian.
Production lines were first used in Portsmouth, producing material for the Royal Navy. (By an emigree Frenchman, Marc Brunel)
Many Scots, working for Englishmen, contributed greatly, such as James Watt.
Absolutely correct. The Scots are responsible for the most inventions in the last 200 years. Their school system was so advanced in the late 19th century that the graduates were head hunted in droves by the emerging US. BTW. I'm not a Scot.
Scotland will never get the credit it deserves under Westminster government
How interesting and informative. Have bought 3 of Sowell's books in the 🇬🇧 UK. I anticipate I will be very impresses by this bright mind. Can't wait 🥳. Why has his research not influenced history books in schools and universities?
Most schools and universities teach what their sponsors - religions, governments, and other "groups," allow them to teach. Failure to conform can lead to loss of a job, or chastisement.
Britain was and is a special place
The greatest stat I read was about inventions.....97% of all.major inventions were from Westerners, 76% of that was Britain & North America.
source?
@@lawbringer9857 it WAS on Wikipedia under the Western Civilization. I don't know if it's still there, nor do I know what exactly their sources were.
But, I knew it had to be something like that. The Great Divergence is one of the most widely discussed topic in history. The only question is why....no one really disputes that the West sort of invented modernity and other cultures caught up later.
That sounds exaggerated --- I might say wildly exaggerated to me.
The Brits capitalized on an enormous trove of technology and culture from Chinese, Indians, Arabs and Ottomans. Even older cultures, such as those that developed agriculture, bronze and perhaps iron.
The compound bow and horses allowed the Mongols to rule Eurasia for several hundred years.
Greece and Rome did terrific things, and then in the European renaissance experimental science began the exponential growth of science, technology and the underpinnings of Western world dominance.
Name a scientific advance or invention from the last 750 years that isn’t western. Look at the recipients of scientific Nobel prizes.
@@SeattlePioneer Greece and Rome did wonderful things. But none of them eventually translated into uplifting the human condition. Life in 0 AD was quite similar to 1400 AD. Disease, war and famine were constant threats. Plague of Justinian and the Black Death 13 centuries apart were equally devastating. Gross World Product rose linearly with population. Wealth wasn't created exponentially but rather linearly and, it was transferred from one to another by conquest and looting. Compound bow was a tool in this transfer of wealth used by Mongols.
Where Industrial Revolution was different was that the first time in recorded human history, we started creating wealth greater than the population growth and started accelerating the growth rate. That every generation was richer than the last one in per capita and absolute terms. It wasn't just the scientific discovery in Europe but the practical applications of the scientific discoveries that allowed Europe to start creating wealth faster than others. and that is what caused the industrial revolution.
From 0 AD to 1500 AD, the world economy tripled in absolute terms, keeping pace with population, ~0.1% per year. Between 1750 and 1800, it was 0.5% per year, faster than human population growth indicating rise in per capita income. What took 1500 years from 0 AD to 1500 AD, i.e. the tripling of economy took just 50 years from 1850 to 1900. Population increased 30%, world GDP grew 300%. We have been roughly keeping 3-5% growth rate since 1950.
We have gone from 2.5 billion people and $4 trillion world economy in 1950 to 6 billion ppl and $40 trillion by 2000. West has been leading the charge. The rest of the world is now catching up.
Apart from the industrial revolution the Netherlands was far more advanced than England/Britain. Canals were dug as far back as the middle ages, and used for transport, and land was reclaimed from lakes and the sea. The Dutch actually ran the coastal shipping in England up until the 17th century, trading between coastal towns in England, which was one of the causes of the Anglo-Dutch Wars. The first multinational trading company (Dutch East India Company), the first stock exchange, and the banking system originated in the Netherlands during the Golden Age (17th century). Architecture from that period was 200 years ahead of Britain, most town centres in NL date from then and are sturdy brick built houses for the middle classes, whilst apart from a few mansions for the upper classes houses in English towns were still wattle and daub (straw & cowdung with wooden beams). The Netherlands was a Republic from the 1640s.
There was far more to The English general innovations, as well as technological, than that.For example, the English Longbow(14th century), was revolutionary and enabled the English to occupied France decades, when far smaller population would otherwise not have enabled this, then there was the faster and more manoeuvrable ships more efficient canon(15th/16th centuries, Pioneering of the 1st sophisticated human and civil rights legislation(Anglo-Saxon law(1041) >Magna Carta(1215) >English Bill of Rights 1689), leading to parliamentary and constituent democracy, as well as new and advanced legal structures and banking (17th century oonwards).
The Dutch also have a great legacy, I agree, but canal development was similar, but not more advanced, than in Britain, but more to the point, in Britain, this not only facilitated better business focused practices and then , through Arable and pastoral farming major inventions, but also was concurrently met with the incredible volume of textiles and other manufacturing inventions, coming from Britain - and this is before the more sophisticated automated inventions, coming after the steam engine from the late 1700s
Plus The scientific legacy of Isaac Newton and James Maxwell, are not rivalled, by anyone other than Einstein (and even he doesn't compare to the discoveries of newton).
The trouble for the Dutch was that no one could understand them.
@@philipmorgan6048 Well actually not. In England Dutch was the second most common foreign language taught after French in the 17th century. It survived in the old Nieuw Nederland in what is now USA until the 1850s if I'm not wrong. The first US President born in an independent USA Martin van Buren spoke Dutch as his first language.
This royal throne of kings, this scepter’d isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
- From Richard II, Act 2 (Shakespeare)
Sowell has a gift to make it painfully clear he's right, an excellent explanation of financial geography.
Thank you again
thanks, was wondering why everybody loves us.
Britain built the best culture based on Celtic Anglo Saxon, beliefs and farming and law and justice. The magna carta was just one building block. Hard work and ingenuity they had aplenty
It was the Normans who made Britain
@@greatone7314 A lot more to it than just the Normans.
So, German tribes of Anglos and Saxons did it
@@greatone7314 it really wasn't.
@@worlddd7777 again, no. Britain's rise to global dominance came much, much later and owed to myriad factors, not invasions that occurred seven-hundred to well over a thousand years prior.
Chatting with my mom the other day and we talked about history, how it is taught in school and the missed opportunity for teachers to make it relevant. This subject came up with regards to vaccines and the ignorance of all sides of the arguments. The unknowing arguing with the unknowing. Anyways, this clip has nothing to do with vaccine debates. If you want relevant history that explains pretty much everything this is the clip for you. Geography and laws matter in why we do society the way we do.
Excellent assessment. One of the best I have heard.
Thomas sowell is a brilliant human being
I can see many common similarities between Britain and the Roman empire. Great video.
I wish this was a real like by Sir Thomas Sowell.
Britain based many thing on Greek/Romano law and practise, just look at Latin being taught in schools up to the 1960's.
A mile in distance, comes from the Romans... 1000 steps mille passus .... in Latin... 😎👍😎
The British empire was in many ways the spiritual successor to the Roman empire.
A big factor was the concept of limited companies and development of banking liability rules. This allowed investment in the new inventions and infrastructure independent of an aristocracy. The willingness of the state and local govt to invest in education, health and sanitation and legislate in the social arena created the momentum that kick started the industrial economy.
Nice to see Scarborough from the air..!!
UK was exceedingly fortunate to have all the resources needed at exactly the right time. Plenty of fast-flowing rivers for mills, a pre-union era labour force to build canals the length and breadth of the country for the transport of the milled produce, then limitless coal to turn the water into steam to drive turbines, to build factories, to produce steam engines and thousands of tonnes of good quality iron for railways and iron-clads to dominate the oceans and enforce Free Trade. Everything just came together at the right moment in history.
That’s not luck it was hard labour and investment.
Why is this amazing Man not being taught in Schools?
In short, some cultures enable development and others do not.