When you first learn that the industrial revolution started in England, you imagine it must be still amazing given 200 years at it. Then you grow up, and learn

When you first learn that the industrial revolution started in England, you imagine it must be still amazing given 200 years at it. Then you grow up, and learn what they actually did was 100 years of manufacturing with the same infrastructure since they could just funnel their product to the colonies, and when their empire collapsed, they were finally forced to compete in the open market, at which point they chose to close down manufacturing and focus on finance.