The hottest Industrial Revolution Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top History Topics

Age of Invention: All Fired Up

Age of Invention, by Anton Howes • 1665 implied HN points • 02 Jul 25
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. The coal briquette, made by mixing coal dust with clay, was invented in the 16th century but never gained popularity in England despite its potential benefits like cleaner burning.
  2. A key figure, Nicolas Romero, introduced the briquette concept in England but struggled to commercialize it due to lack of support and competition from raw coal.
  3. The failure to adopt coal briquettes often happened when coal was cheap and plentiful, making the effort to make briquettes not worth it for many users.

The High-Wage Thesis isn’t even wrong!

Something to Consider • 159 implied HN points • 26 Jul 24
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. The High-Wage Thesis suggests that higher wages encourage investment in technology, but this idea is poorly supported by evidence. It means that just because wages are higher, it doesn't necessarily lead to faster innovation.
  2. Instead of focusing solely on labor costs, we should consider the absolute costs of resources like coal that made certain technologies more practical. This could explain some innovations without relying on the idea of higher labor costs.
  3. The assumptions behind the High-Wage Thesis might not hold true, and questioning these assumptions can lead to a deeper understanding of economic history and industrial innovations. It shows the need for careful examination of widely accepted theories.

Age of Invention: How Coal Really Won

Age of Invention, by Anton Howes • 2145 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. During the late 1500s, people in England started using coal instead of wood for heating. This change was not just about using a cheaper fuel; it actually transformed how land was used, allowing more space for crops.
  2. The rise of coal in households was influenced by advances in technology like chimneys and coal grates, which made it possible to burn coal more efficiently and with less smoke. These innovations helped shift people's preferences towards coal.
  3. Coal became popular in brewing and other industries because it was cheaper than wood. This increased demand for coal, eventually leading to a significant rise in its use in homes and cities.

Time Off in Old Times

Maximum Progress • 314 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. Medieval peasants had more time off due to frequent breaks, long holidays, and seasonal slow downs in paid farm labor.
  2. Comparing work hours between medieval and modern times may not be accurate as the nature of work and leisure is different.
  3. Historia Civilis' analysis overlooks the harsh realities of medieval life, including torture by landlords and mandatory household chores.
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Age of Invention: Lessons from the Rise of Coal

Age of Invention, by Anton Howes • 1201 implied HN points • 25 Oct 23
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. The transition to coal started by finding ways to exploit cheaper coals, leading to innovations like coal-fuelled salt pans.
  2. Lime, often overlooked by economic historians, had a significant impact on agriculture and productivity.
  3. Coal's impact on agriculture increased the availability of grain, resulting in an abundance of muscle power for various industrial tasks.

Age of Invention: Cort Case

Age of Invention, by Anton Howes • 1297 implied HN points • 07 Jul 23
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. Henry Cort, a key figure in the British Industrial Revolution, may have stolen iron-making improvements from enslaved Jamaican metallurgists.
  2. The origin of Cort's inventions is still debated, with limited evidence to prove the claims made by Jenny Bulstrode in an academic paper.
  3. The narrative presented by Bulstrode requires multiple unproven assumptions and lacks concrete evidence.

Age of Invention: How to Steal Technology

Age of Invention, by Anton Howes • 1040 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. John Holker was a master of industrial espionage, using his skills to steal British textile technologies for the French government in the 18th century.
  2. Britain was already a leader in European technological development in the 1710s, with industries like iron founding, clock-making, and sailcloth-making.
  3. Holker not only stole technology, but also set up a system to adapt and spread the skills in France, leading to the success of introducing cotton velvet manufacture.

Age of Invention: Cash Cows

Age of Invention, by Anton Howes • 1008 implied HN points • 10 Aug 23
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. Robert Bakewell had an 'improving mentality' when it came to breeding animals, focusing on optimizing profit and efficiency.
  2. Bakewell selectively bred cows and sheep to maximize valuable meat and minimize feeding costs.
  3. The improving mentality led Bakewell to continuously optimize all aspects of his farm, from animal breeding to farm layout and operations.

Heblich, Redding, and Voth are Wrong!

Something to Consider • 19 implied HN points • 19 Jun 24
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. The paper argues that the benefits of slave ownership during the Industrial Revolution are overstated. The claims about the economic impacts should be viewed more critically.
  2. The costs of maintaining slave colonies, like the expenses of the Royal Navy and sugar tariffs, need to be considered when evaluating the profits from slavery. These costs affect the overall economic gain for Britain.
  3. There's a need for skepticism regarding how beneficial the sugar colonies were to Britain's economy. The evidence suggests they may not have contributed as positively as previously thought.

Of Chemistry and Office: A (Brief) Genealogy of Power, Part Two

Earthly Fortunes • 137 implied HN points • 13 May 23
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. The French Revolution led to a shift in power from the church to the state, and the establishment of civil services to govern local lives.
  2. Industrial expansion typically coincided with the growth of civil services in different regions.
  3. The structure of civil services, developed during times of industrialization, has been adopted by big companies and institutions.

Stories are bad for your intelligence

The Ruffian • 639 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. Stories can impact how we understand reality, filtering out information and emphasizing certain aspects.
  2. Historical narratives can sometimes be based on sensational stories rather than solid evidence.
  3. It is important to be skeptical of stories and narratives, especially in academic and scientific contexts.

Rise of civilization Part 2

America in Crisis • 39 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
💾 History Industrial Revolution
  1. Capitalism involves the accumulation of capital through entrepreneurial growth ethic to increase labor productivity.
  2. Capitalism allowed a release from Malthusian limits to economic growth, enabling the rise in GDP per capita seen through history.
  3. The development of capitalism involved utilizing surplus population in profitable activities, leading to economic conditions for industrial revolution and modern Western-centric world.