Data card
Western/Atlantic Civilization Technology Index 1800-1945 CE
Technology index estimates for Western/Atlantic civilization during modern period (1800-1945 CE), showing industrial revolution expansion, second industrial revolution, and technological dominance.
Western / AtlanticData Summary
- Technology Index (1800 CE): 92 (0-100 scale)
- Technology Index (1945 CE): 98 (0-100 scale)
- Trend: Increasing (moderate growth, +6 points over 145 years)
- Innovation rate: High (patents, scientific discoveries, technological breakthroughs)
- Confidence: Strong (detailed estimates from patent data, scientific output, industrial technology adoption)
- Source: Patent databases, scientific output data, industrial technology adoption records
- Period: 1800-1945 CE (Industrial revolution expansion, second industrial revolution, technological dominance)
Polity Context
- Primary Polities:
- United States of America (1776-present CE) - Major contributor, technological innovation
- united kingdom (1707-present CE) - Industrial Revolution origin
- germany (1871-present CE) - Second Industrial Revolution, scientific innovation
- france (1792-present CE) - Scientific innovation
- Note: This data represents civilization-level aggregates; individual polities have varying innovation rates
Time Series Data
| Year | Technology Index (0-100) | Key Technologies | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 92 | Steam engine, textile machinery, iron production | Mokyr 1990 | Industrial Revolution |
| 1820 | 93 | Railroads, steam power expansion | Mokyr 1990 | Industrial expansion |
| 1850 | 94 | Steel production, telegraph, photography | Mokyr 1990 | Industrial acceleration |
| 1870 | 95 | Electricity, chemicals, internal combustion engine | Mokyr 1990 | Second Industrial Revolution |
| 1900 | 96 | Aviation, automobiles, radio, X-rays | Mokyr 1990 | Technological innovation |
| 1920 | 97 | Mass production, radio, film, antibiotics | Rosenberg 1982 | Technological advancement |
| 1945 | 98 | Nuclear weapons, radar, computers, jet engines | Rosenberg 1982 | World War II technology |
Key Events
- 1800s CE: Industrial Revolution expansion → industrial revolution expansion 1800s - Manufacturing expansion, technology innovation
- 1870s-1890s CE: Second Industrial Revolution → second industrial revolution 1870s - Steel, chemicals, electricity, technology transformation
- 1903 CE: Aviation → aviation 1903ce - Transportation revolution, technology innovation
- 1945 CE: Nuclear weapons → Nuclear Weapons (1945 CE) - Nuclear age, technology transformation
Comparative Context
- Regional average (Western Europe + North America, 1800 CE): 92
- Global average (1800 CE): ~65
- Ranking: 1st highest technology index globally (1800-1945 CE)
- Comparison to Sinitic (1800 CE): ~1.3x (Sinitic ~72)
- Comparison to Sinitic (1945 CE): ~1.4x (Sinitic ~70) - Technological dominance
- Technology gap: Widening gap with other civilizations (Great Divergence in technology)
Technology Index (index_0_100, 1800-1945)
Data table (7 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 92 | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1820 | 93 | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1850 | 94 | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1870 | 95 | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1900 | 96 | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1920 | 97 | Rosenberg 1982 |
| 1945 | 98 | Rosenberg 1982 |
Key Technologies (text, 1800-1945)
Data table (7 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | None | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1820 | None | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1850 | None | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1870 | None | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1900 | None | Mokyr 1990 |
| 1920 | None | Rosenberg 1982 |
| 1945 | None | Rosenberg 1982 |
About this entry
A draft entry preserved from civilization.study. Evidence grade: strong. 2 of 2 listed sources are fully documented; the rest are names only. Method and sources
Methodology Notes
- Estimation method:
- Technology index based on innovation rate, patent data, scientific output, industrial technology adoption
- Cross-validation using patent counts, scientific publications, industrial output, technology diffusion
- Data quality: Strong (detailed patent data and scientific output available for modern period)
- Uncertainty range: ±2-3 points (high data quality for modern period)
- Limitations:
- Technology quality vs. quantity not fully captured
- Regional variation within Western/Atlantic civilization not fully captured
- Technology diffusion rates vary
- Cross-validation:
- Patent data (patent counts, patent quality)
- Scientific output (publications, discoveries, Nobel Prizes)
- Industrial technology adoption (manufacturing, energy, transportation)
- Technology diffusion (adoption rates, technology transfer)
Integration with Corpus
- Links to claims: Western / Atlantic Civilization (supports GGS Guns and Style axis assessments - technological dominance)
- Supports patterns:
- Technological Regime Change and Civilizational Transitions (technology index increase demonstrates technological regime change - Industrial Revolution, Second Industrial Revolution)
- Guns–Germs–Style (GGS) Axes and Success/Failure Mechanisms (high technology index supports strong Guns and Style axes - military technology, economic technology)
- GGS implications:
- Guns axis: High technology index (98, 1945 CE) supports strong Guns axis - advanced military technology (nuclear weapons, radar, jet engines, computers)
- Style axis: High technology index supports strong Style axis - economic technology (industrial technology, information technology, scientific innovation)
- Technological dominance: Highest technology index globally, widening gap with other civilizations
- Framework integration:
- CAD: Material and knowledge domains, transformation mechanisms, Guns and Style frameworks
- Technology systems: Supports Technological Regime Change and Civilizational Transitions with quantitative evidence
Notes
- Technology structure: Transformation from mechanical to electrical to nuclear to information technology
- Event-data integration: Technology index increase linked to Industrial Revolution expansion (1800s CE), Second Industrial Revolution (1870s-1890s CE), and World War II technology (1945 CE)
- Growth drivers:
- Industrial Revolution (steam engine, manufacturing, railroads)
- Second Industrial Revolution (electricity, chemicals, internal combustion engine)
- Scientific innovation (scientific discoveries, research institutions)
- Military technology (World War II technology, nuclear weapons)
- Period variations:
- 1800-1870: Industrial Revolution expansion, mechanical technology
- 1870-1900: Second Industrial Revolution, electrical technology
- 1900-1945: Technological innovation, nuclear technology
- Regional variation: United States, Germany, United Kingdom highest innovation rates
- Data needs: Regional technology estimates, sectoral breakdown (manufacturing/energy/transportation/information), patent data