The Industrial Revolution began in the 1780s in Great Britain and took decades to spread. Great Britain was well-suited for the Industrial Revolution due to advantages like abundant natural resources like coal and iron ore, a ready supply of capital from merchants, and a large colonial empire that provided export markets. New technologies like the steam engine and cotton gin automated manufacturing processes and vastly increased production. The Industrial Revolution transformed Great Britain into the world's first industrialized nation and spread industrialization across Europe and North America in the 19th century.