Unit 1: The Origins of Capitalism

This Unit aims to:

  • Provide the basis for the rest of the course by examining the development of capitalism as it emerged in the first industrialised nation
  • Examine, via a history of its development, the basis on which capitalism operates
  • Look at the ways in which historical change comes about through the interaction of economic and social relations
  • Provide an ‘alternative’ history of working-class people and their lived experiences
  • Raise issues around the nature of history as it is usually written 

Terms and abbreviations

Capitalism: System in which private or corporate wealth (capital) is used in the production and distribution of goods resulting in the dominance of private owners of capital and production for profit.