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In chapter 17 the west had a rich heritage of Greek and Roman logic, science, engineering, literature, and democracy. Plato, Aristotle, Pericles, Cicero, and Julius Caesar parts of this heritage. Christianity had a core individualism, optimism, self worth, and human dignity. Medieval Europe had an infrastructure of self government and law. During this period of time the West underwent a series of shocks in the 16th century that forced a new outlook in life. The West was small, poor, and backward, so necessity was the mother of the Wests invention. Europe and Britain witnessed almost a three percent population growth from 1400 to 1800. Britain is an island and as a result Britian's industrial production increased fifty fold between 1750 and 1900. Britians ability to adapt to new sources of fuel and techniques to all areas of production gave the country a leading position for almost a hundred years. Industrilization began in New England in textiles and spread rapidly after the Civil War with the United States becoming the leading industrial power by 1914. American workers had less solidarity than their Eurpean colleagues and were less extreme even though they did not make many successful and local unions. This chapter showcases Great Britain as the leader of the Industrial revolution, proceeding in other countries and the social effects of industrialization.