8. Religious dissenters

Many British inventors and industrialists were Quakers, Methodists, or other religious dissenters excluded from universities and government careers. They funneled their energies into commerce and invention. Examples include the Darby family (iron) and Josiah Wedgwood (pottery).

Common Regents question: A frequent multiple choice prompt asks which factor was most important in causing the Industrial Revolution. Acceptable answers usually include the Agricultural Revolution, abundant coal and iron, political stability, or the accumulation of capital from colonial trade. The wrong answers tend to be things like "Britain's small population" (false; population was growing) or "government ownership of industry" (the opposite of laissez-faire).