The Great Divergence
Political unification in China owed much to its smooth coastline and plain that stretches from the Yangtze River in the west to the Yellow River in the east (Diamond 1997, 418). China has primarily been a single state with an expanse that has historically resulted in internal migration. Europe, however, composed of 1000 statelets in the 14 th century (Diamond 1997, 419) has a geography that encourages international migration: a coastline with several peninsulas, in Italy, Greece, and Denmark for example; two major neighbouring islands, Britain and Ireland, that can maintain their language and government, while simultaneously threatening others’; and a chain of mountains, such as the Alps, Pyrenees, and Balkans, which automatically divide Europe into units. This difference accounts for the relative Chinese decline in overseas trade and cultural exchange after He’s death. Whil e Chinese geography and political unification resulted in the abandonment of ideas that were not liked by the Chinese state, Europe’s political fragmentation facilitated Columbus’ discovery of the Americas; he was able to refer to several figures after rejection, from the duke of Medina-Sedonia to the count of Medina- Celi and eventually to the king and queen of Spain, to be funded to voyage westwards (Diamond 1997, 418). This precisely demonstrates the advantages of balkanized Europe; if a certain person had an idea that was not feasible in their current conditions, they were able to move to a neighbouring state to translate their idea into an invention. It was a combination of factors that worked in tandem with one another to allow Europe to industrialize . As China turned inwards, Europe’s overseas network increasingly developed. The Atlantic economy shift ed Britain’s economic landscape, as cities in northwest England, such as Manchester and Liverpool, became more populous. With Sheffield known for its steel industry and Liverpool for its watch industry, these cities began to specialize in certain products, which attracted highly skilled workers that could apply their knowledge to machines (Koyama and Rubin 2022, 156). A major reason they gained knowledge was because of the system of apprenticeships where masters had their apprentice on a contract in which they would provide him with food, shelter, and training in return for their service (Koyama and Rubin 2022, 164). After a few years the apprentice would then take their experience with them to elsewhere in the country, creating a network of human capital. The invention of the spinning jenny in 1764 shifted labour organization to factories and marked the beginning of machine labour over human labour. In 1769 Richard Arkwright used the design of the spinning jenny to create one powered by water, and in 1779 Samuel Crompton used the design of both the spinning jenny and water frame to create the spinning mule. Each machine was more efficient than the other, and with cumulative improvement overall textile productivity doubled between the 1760s and 1830s (Koyama and Rubin, 166) and the quality rivalled that in India. These incremental improvements were able to happen for two primary reasons. Firstly, Europe’s academic culture was different to China’s : it did not encourage linear thinking, its curriculum was modern, and challenging ideas was encouraged. The Republic of Letters, a European community of Enlightenment intellectuals, furthered innovation as findings were discussed and tested. The results would then be disseminated to the skilled workers across the continent who then applied the new knowledge and their motor skills to the machines. Secondly, Europe had favourable demographics that worked with conditions of industrial growth. For example, the spread of Protestantism across Europe after the Reformation encouraged reading and education, and the Black Death helped cause the European Marriage Pattern (EMP). The EMP meant more females entered the labour force, which then caused them to marry later, resulting in a reduced fertility rate. Following the Malthusian model, a
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