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The Path to Sustained Growth

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  • Wrigley,E. A.

Abstract

Before the industrial revolution prolonged economic growth was unachievable. All economies were organic, dependent on plant photosynthesis to provide food, raw materials, and energy. This was true both of heat energy, derived from burning wood, and mechanical energy provided chiefly by human and animal muscle. The flow of energy from the sun captured by plant photosynthesis was the basis of all production and consumption. Britain began to escape the old restrictions by making increasing use of the vast stock of energy contained in coal measures, initially as a source of heat energy but eventually also of mechanical energy, thus making possible the industrial revolution. In this concise and accessible account of change between the reigns of Elizabeth I and Victoria, Wrigley describes how during this period Britain moved from the economic periphery of Europe to becoming briefly the world's leading economy, forging a path rapidly emulated by its competitors.

Suggested Citation

  • Wrigley,E. A., 2016. "The Path to Sustained Growth," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107135710.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:cbooks:9781107135710
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexandra de Pleijt & Alessandro Nuvolari & Jacob Weisdorf, 2020. "Human Capital Formation During the First Industrial Revolution: Evidence from the use of Steam Engines," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(2), pages 829-889.
    2. Isham, Amy & Mair, Simon & Jackson, Tim, 2021. "Worker wellbeing and productivity in advanced economies: Re-examining the link," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    3. Paul Steenwyk & Matthew Kuperus Heun & Paul Brockway & Tânia Sousa & Sofia Henriques, 2022. "The Contributions of Muscle and Machine Work to Land and Labor Productivity in World Agriculture Since 1800," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Paolo Malanima, 2020. "The limiting factor: energy, growth, and divergence, 1820–1913," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 73(2), pages 486-512, May.
    5. Susana HERRERO-OLARTE & Mateo LOAIZA, 2021. "Structural Or Conjunctural Changes To Reduce Poverty In Ecuador?," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 21(2), pages 19-36.
    6. Arnoux, Mathieu, 2019. "Ressources renouvelables et croissance économique : suggestions médiévales et questions contemporaines," Revue de la Régulation - Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoirs, Association Recherche et Régulation, vol. 26.
    7. O'Brien, Patrick, 2018. "Cosmographies for the discovery, development and diffusion of useful and reliable knowledge in pre-industrial Europe and Late imperial China: a survey and speculation," Economic History Working Papers 90534, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    8. Victor Court, 2018. "Energy Capture, Technological Change, and Economic Growth: An Evolutionary Perspective," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1-27, September.
    9. Keith Sugden & Sebastian A.J. Keibek & Leigh Shaw-Taylor, "undated". "Adam Smith revisited: coal and the location of the woollen manufacture in England before mechanization, c. 1500-1820," Working Papers 33, Department of Economic and Social History at the University of Cambridge.
    10. Emmanuel Bovari & Victor Court, 2019. "Energy, knowledge, and demo-economic development in the long run: a unified growth model," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-01698755, HAL.
    11. Malanima, Paolo, 2021. "Energy, productivity and structural growth. The last two centuries," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 54-65.
    12. Philip Kreager, 2022. "Smith or Malthus? A Sea‐Change in the Concept of a Population," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 48(3), pages 645-688, September.
    13. Enflo, Kerstin & Cermeño, Alexandra, 2018. "Can Kings Create Towns that Thrive? The long-run implications of new town foundations," CEPR Discussion Papers 13392, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Ebeling, Francisco, 2022. "Can fossil fuel endowments steer economic development? Evidence from the linkages approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    15. Dimitrios Theodoridis & Paul Warde & Astrid Kander, 2016. "Trade and overcoming land constraints in the British Industrial Revolution: the role of coal and cotton revisited," Working Papers 16027, Economic History Society.
    16. Mair, Simon & Druckman, Angela & Jackson, Tim, 2020. "A tale of two utopias: Work in a post-growth world," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    17. Infante-Amate, Juan & Krausmann, Fridolin, 2019. "Trade, Ecologically Unequal Exchange and Colonial Legacy: The Case of France and its Former Colonies (1962–2015)," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 98-109.
    18. Fischer-Kowalski, Marina & Rovenskaya, Elena & Krausmann, Fridolin & Pallua, Irene & Mc Neill, John R., 2019. "Energy transitions and social revolutions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 69-77.

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