The Industrial Revolution & the British Empire

Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Reviewed by the BritainTest editorial team

This period runs from the Act of Union in 1707 through to the Victorian age. Britain became the first country to industrialise and built the largest empire the world has seen. It follows on from the Stuarts, and it is part of our history study guide.

Key facts

The Act of Union and the first Prime Minister

In 1707, the Act of Union joined England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, with one Parliament. Around this time, Sir Robert Walpole became the first person we would recognise as Prime Minister. Supporters of the exiled Stuarts, the Jacobites, led rebellions; the last was defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

The Enlightenment

The 18th century was also a time of new ideas, known as the Enlightenment. It held that people should be free to think for themselves and use reason. Scottish thinkers led the way, including Adam Smith, an economist whose ideas shaped modern economics, and David Hume, a philosopher.

The Industrial Revolution

Britain was the first country to go through the Industrial Revolution: a rapid growth of industry, machines and factories, powered by steam. It began in the textile industry, where Richard Arkwright pioneered efficient factory production. Better transport, such as James Brindley's canals and later the railways of George and Robert Stephenson, moved goods and people; James Watt improved the steam engine. Cities grew quickly, and Britain became known as the "workshop of the world". The change also brought hardship, including harsh factory conditions and child labour, which later reforms addressed.

The British Empire and the abolition of slavery

By the 1800s the British Empire was the largest in history, covering about a quarter of the world. Britain had taken part in the transatlantic slave trade, but a strong movement grew to end it. The slave trade was made illegal in 1807, and the Emancipation Act of 1833 abolished slavery throughout the Empire. William Wilberforce was one of the leading campaigners for abolition.

The Napoleonic Wars

Britain fought France under Napoleon. Admiral Nelson won the Battle of Trafalgar at sea in 1805 (Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square remembers him), and the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

The Victorian age

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, the height of British industry and empire. It was a time of reform and of famous figures such as Florence Nightingale, who nursed soldiers in the Crimean War and helped found modern nursing.

Key events at a glance

What to remember for the test

• 1707: the Act of Union creates Great Britain.
• The Industrial Revolution made Britain the first industrial nation.
• The British Empire was the largest in history.
• 1807 and 1833: the slave trade, then slavery, are abolished; William Wilberforce campaigned against them.
• 1805 Trafalgar (Nelson) and 1815 Waterloo (Wellington).

For these dates alongside the others, see the UK history timeline.

Practise this topic

Test yourself on this period in the real format, then reread anything you miss. Next comes 20th-century Britain and the two World Wars.