In this course we will look at how the rise of industrial capitalism has transformed human life dramatically. We look at the first industrial revolution in Britain, asking why it took place there and how other countries caught up during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We examine the links between the development of capitalism and Britain’s agricultural revolution, on the one hand, and overseas trade and colonies, on the other. Here, we consider the links between capitalism and technology, class, forms of protest, culture and family life, consumption and leisure. Finally, we look at the futures of capitalism, asking if it is a sustainable mode of production.