Domestic energy consumption before and during the early industrial revolution: Belgium and the Netherlands compared (1600-1850).

Why did the Northern Low Countries ('the Netherlands') experience early modern economic growth,but no industrialization until the late nineteenth century? And why, by contrast, did the SouthernLow Countries ('Belgium') turn into the first industrialized region outside of Britain afterexperiencing centuries of relative economic stagnation and decline? (Mokyr 1976) This researchproject aims to evaluate the role of the transition from a 'organic' to a 'mineral' energy base (E.A.Wrigley) in the domestic sphere as a potential explanatory factor in these divergent paths ofdevelopment. By studying the energy sources, technologies, practices, and mentalities related tothe heating and illumination of early modern homes over time and in a comparative perspective,this project aims to shed light on the energy-intensity and –efficiency of households in Belgium andthe Netherlands prior to industrialization. Not only is this research of primary importance in gaininga better understanding of the first Industrial Revolution on the European continent, it also promisesinsight into the roots of energy transitions both past and future.

Keywords:ENERGY CONSUMPTION, EARLY MODERN HISTORY

Disciplines:Economic history, History