History & Area Studies / Thematic History / Economic History & Industrialization
Why Britain Led the Industrial Revolution: Not Just Patents but Secret Skills
Most people think the Industrial Revolution was driven by a few genius inventors and patents. But this video flips that narrative. Based on the research of Ralf Meisenzahl and Joel Mokyr (NBER Working Paper 16993), we reveal the real secret: Britain’s advantage came from a massive pool of skilled craftsmen—the 'tweakers' and 'implementers'—who made macro-inventions work. Discover why 40% of top engineers never patented their ideas, how apprenticeship (not universities) built the workforce, and why the textile industry is a misleading exception. If you want to understand what truly drives technological breakthroughs, watch this.
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