During the 19th century, the world’s most powerful nations industrialised. Industrialisation was a historically unique process. Industrialisation involved the creation of  ‘infrastructure’, communication through roads, railways, and canals; the building of massive factories, producing a huge volume of goods, and most of society living close together in urban housing side by side. None of this had ever occurred before in all the world’s history. Britain was out in front in the 19th century as she led the way with industrialisation, however, the USA caught up, and Germany too by the end of the century from a slow start. All three societies came to Industrialisation through their unique histories, so there were many differences.

The Haitian Revolution and the anti-slavery movement led by Britain might have been a watershed movement in the slave trade as a whole. It wasn't, however. Slave owners and West Indian island administrators were certainly terrified of new political risings by slaves. The movement in Britain to be rid of the slave trade needs to be understood in the context of religious movements within Britain itself. Many British historians have emphasised the moral high ground, as British legislation outlawed both the trade in slaves and slavery itself in 1807 and 1833…