British-Swedish industrial cooperation in the 18th and 19th century. The case of the Caledonian Canal in Scotland and the Göta Canal in Sweden

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,3, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald (Anglistik/Amerikanistik), course: Scandinavia and Anglophone Countries, language: English, abstract: Throughout the course of history Sweden and Great Britain often had periods of strong contact and exchange. A few examples are the Viking era or the Hanseatic League. After few contact in the Tudor Age, both countries cooperated heavily during the Industrialization period, beginning in England around 1750. This paper will examine the development of Great Britain and Sweden and their industrial cooperation in the 18th and 19th century. During these years both countries underwent major changes in economy, generally known as the industrial revolution. First it will be examined how the process of industrialization was triggered and which effects it had on society, living standards and the general import and export trades. At the same time, the economic exchange between the two countries will be illustrated. Since the means of transportation play a big role in industrial development, the third chapter will deal with two major construction works that were realized in both countries at roughly the same time. The Caledonian Canal in Scotland and the Göta Canal in Sweden were both planned to enhance the transportation network to enable faster transit of goods across the country (cf. Scottish Canals) (cf. Bjuggren/af Donner 19). Thomas Telford, a British engineer, was responsible for the construction of the Caledonian Canal (cf. Scottish Canals). Due to that fact, Count Baltzar von Platen, who was the leading constructor of the younger Göta Canal (cf. Göta Canal 2010), also involved him in the planning of his project (cf. Smiles 1867, 237).