I don’t think the facts support the ‘discontiguous empire → peasants can’t walk to the capital → labor shortage’ argument. The British Empire had continual migration from Britain to the colonies. Enslaved labor was likewise sent to the colonies.
Rather than a contracted labor supply, I think Britain experienced an increased labor demand due to quickly obtaining huge amounts of arable land (and displacing the former inhabitants rather than subjugating them).
I don’t think the facts support the ‘discontiguous empire → peasants can’t walk to the capital → labor shortage’ argument. The British Empire had continual migration from Britain to the colonies. Enslaved labor was likewise sent to the colonies.
Rather than a contracted labor supply, I think Britain experienced an increased labor demand due to quickly obtaining huge amounts of arable land (and displacing the former inhabitants rather than subjugating them).
That makes a lot of sense. I forgot about the whole “emigration from Britain” thing.