Sort of a dictionary reply here, however I feel it is necessary. The industrial revolution began with improving textile manufacture as the the ages old technique of hand spinning was slow, demanding, and unable to meet demand leeding to the invention of the spinning jenny in 1764. The spinning jenny could produce eight times the amount of thread a spinning wheel could leading to an increased use of cotton, wool, and other fiberous materials.
Because of the increased demand for resources British entrepeneurs began finding areas suitable for the growth of cotton the major areas being the American south, Egypt, and India which were slowly being claimed.
With thread being produced cheaply and reliably came improvements in weaving such as the power loom (1784), cotton gin (1794), etc. Britain mainly relied upon the American south for its cotton supply untill the advent of the American Civil War, where upon it turned to its new aquisitions in india after the Sepoi Mutiny of 1857 allowed the British it take the whole of India.
The British Empire was based principally upon their colonies producing raw resources which were shipped to England, refined untill it became a useable product and then exported to the world. The revolution could have taken place much earlier if the machinery was not kept secret by its inventors for their own profit. It also would have expanded much faster however the steam engine was not entirely reliable and metalurgy, and precision machinery were not advanced enough to accomodate there developement.
The Industrial Revolution was both caused and fueled by trade(in raw resources) and science(by advanced machinery). The end
Reaver alone could never cause that much advancement in fifty years as he appears to have no interest in nor expertise in engineering. On a side note his presence alone would cause people to lose their inhibitions as he is that corupting a force.
