What If European Chemistry Developed Synthetic Materials Earlier?

The Actual History

The development of synthetic materials—substances created through chemical processes that do not exist naturally—was a gradual process that primarily occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries. This development followed the establishment of chemistry as a modern scientific discipline, which itself emerged from earlier alchemical traditions and natural philosophy.

In the 18th century, chemistry began its transformation into a modern science. Antoine Lavoisier's work on combustion and his systematic approach to chemical nomenclature, published in his "Elementary Treatise on Chemistry" (1789), helped establish chemistry as a quantitative science. However, the theoretical understanding of molecular structure and chemical bonding necessary for the deliberate creation of synthetic materials was still lacking.

The 19th century saw crucial theoretical advances. John Dalton's atomic theory (1808) provided a framework for understanding chemical reactions, and Friedrich Wöhler's synthesis of urea from inorganic compounds in 1828 disproved the prevailing "vital force" theory, which had held that organic compounds could only be produced by living organisms. August Kekulé's work on molecular structure in the 1850s and 1860s, including his discovery of the ring structure of benzene, further advanced organic chemistry.

These theoretical foundations enabled the first truly synthetic materials:

Early Plastics: Alexander Parkes created Parkesine (an early form of celluloid) in 1862, and John Wesley Hyatt developed celluloid as a commercial product in 1870. Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, in 1907.
Synthetic Dyes: William Henry Perkin accidentally discovered the first synthetic dye, mauveine, in 1856 while attempting to synthesize quinine. This discovery launched the synthetic dye industry, particularly in Germany.
Synthetic Fibers: The first artificial fiber, rayon (initially called "artificial silk"), was developed in the 1880s and commercialized in the early 1900s. Nylon, the first truly synthetic fiber, was invented by Wallace Carothers at DuPont in 1935.
Synthetic Rubber: The search for synthetic rubber began in the late 19th century, but commercial production only became significant during World War II when natural rubber supplies were cut off.
Pharmaceuticals: While some medicinal compounds had been isolated from plants earlier, the deliberate synthesis of pharmaceuticals began in the late 19th century. Aspirin was synthesized by Felix Hoffmann at Bayer in 1897, and the sulfa drugs, the first antibacterial medications, were developed in the 1930s.

The widespread adoption of synthetic materials transformed modern life in the 20th century. Plastics, synthetic fibers, and other artificial materials became ubiquitous in consumer goods, construction, medicine, and virtually every aspect of industrial civilization. This transformation occurred alongside and was enabled by the development of the petroleum industry, which provided both energy and chemical feedstocks.

In our actual history, the development of synthetic materials was a product of the Second Industrial Revolution (roughly 1870-1914) and the subsequent scientific and technological advances of the 20th century. The theoretical foundations, industrial infrastructure, and economic demand necessary for this development converged relatively late in the industrial era.

The Point of Divergence

What if European chemistry had developed synthetic materials significantly earlier? Let's imagine a scenario where key theoretical insights and practical discoveries in chemistry occurred in the mid-18th century rather than the 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to the development of synthetic materials during the early phases of the Industrial Revolution.

In this alternate timeline, the point of divergence occurs in the 1750s. Antoine Lavoisier, born in 1743, demonstrates extraordinary scientific precocity. By age 15, he has already begun systematic chemical experiments, and by 20, he has formulated a preliminary version of his oxygen theory of combustion, decades earlier than in our timeline.

Simultaneously, in Sweden, Carl Wilhelm Scheele makes his discoveries of oxygen, chlorine, and organic acids in the 1750s rather than the 1770s. In Britain, Joseph Priestley begins his experiments with gases a decade earlier than historically, while in Germany, a fictional chemist named Friedrich Hoffman develops an early theory of molecular structure around 1760.

These accelerated developments create a critical mass of chemical knowledge by the 1760s. The rejection of the phlogiston theory occurs decades earlier, and by 1770, a basic understanding of atomic theory and chemical bonding has emerged. This theoretical foundation enables practical applications:

By 1775, Scheele has synthesized the first artificial polymer, a crude form of celluloid.
By 1780, British textile manufacturers are experimenting with chemically modified natural fibers, creating early versions of rayon.
By 1785, the first synthetic dyes are being produced, revolutionizing the textile industry.
By 1790, early thermosetting plastics similar to Bakelite are being developed for industrial applications.
By 1800, the first synthetic pharmaceuticals are being produced, including analgesics and antipyretics.

These developments occur during the early phases of the Industrial Revolution, when steam power and mechanized production are just beginning to transform manufacturing. The availability of synthetic materials provides new possibilities for industrial processes and products, potentially altering the trajectory of industrialization itself.

This alternate timeline explores how the earlier development of synthetic materials might have changed the nature of the Industrial Revolution, affected global trade patterns and colonial relationships, influenced medical and public health developments, and potentially created different environmental challenges and responses.

Immediate Aftermath

Industrial Transformation

The introduction of synthetic materials during the early Industrial Revolution would have significantly altered manufacturing processes and products:

Textile Industry Revolution: Beyond mechanization, the textile industry would have experienced a materials revolution. Synthetic dyes would have eliminated dependence on natural colorants like indigo and cochineal, disrupting established trade patterns. Early artificial fibers would have supplemented cotton and wool, potentially reducing the economic importance of cotton production and the slave-based plantation system that supported it.
New Manufacturing Sectors: Industries dedicated to producing synthetic materials would have emerged alongside traditional manufacturing. Chemical plants producing polymers, artificial fibers, and industrial compounds would have become important economic centers, potentially creating new industrial regions beyond the coal and iron centers that dominated the historical Industrial Revolution.
Product Innovation: Manufacturers would have begun incorporating synthetic materials into their products, creating novel goods with properties impossible to achieve using only natural materials. Early plastics would have found applications in everything from household items to industrial components, while synthetic fibers would have enabled new types of clothing, upholstery, and industrial textiles.
Production Processes: The availability of synthetic adhesives, coatings, and structural materials would have changed production methods across industries. Woodworking, metalworking, and construction would all have been influenced by the availability of artificial materials with customized properties.

Scientific Acceleration

The successful development of synthetic materials would have accelerated scientific progress in multiple fields:

Chemical Theory: Practical success in creating synthetic materials would have stimulated further theoretical work in chemistry, potentially leading to earlier understanding of chemical bonding, reaction kinetics, and thermodynamics.
Materials Science: The study of material properties would have emerged as a distinct scientific field earlier, with systematic investigation of the relationship between chemical structure and physical properties.
Biological Chemistry: The synthesis of compounds previously found only in living organisms would have prompted earlier investigation of biochemistry, potentially accelerating understanding of biological processes at the molecular level.
Pharmaceutical Research: The ability to synthesize novel compounds with biological activity would have transformed medicine, creating a more systematic approach to drug discovery and development decades before it occurred historically.

Economic Shifts

The economic landscape would have been significantly altered:

New Industries and Wealth: Chemical manufacturing would have emerged as a major industrial sector earlier, creating new sources of wealth and economic power. Entrepreneurs and investors in synthetic materials would have joined textile magnates and iron masters as industrial leaders.
Changed Trade Patterns: Dependence on certain natural materials would have decreased, altering global trade. The reduced need for natural dyes from India and the Americas, rubber from Brazil, or certain fibers might have changed colonial economic relationships and extractive patterns.
Labor Market Transformation: The chemical industry would have created demand for new types of skilled workers—chemical technicians, engineers, and specialized factory workers—creating new career paths and potentially different patterns of labor organization.
Investment Patterns: Capital would have flowed toward chemical innovation and production, potentially creating different patterns of industrial development and wealth concentration than occurred historically.

Social and Cultural Impact

The earlier introduction of synthetic materials would have had profound social implications:

Material Culture: Everyday objects would have begun incorporating synthetic materials decades earlier, changing the material culture of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Plastics, synthetic textiles, and artificial colorants would have transformed the appearance and properties of clothing, household items, and personal possessions.
Class Markers: Synthetic materials might have disrupted traditional markers of social status based on access to expensive natural materials. Imitation materials might have democratized access to previously exclusive goods, while creating new distinctions between "authentic" natural materials and "artificial" substitutes.
Aesthetic Movements: Artistic and design movements would have responded to the new material possibilities, potentially creating distinctive aesthetic approaches to synthetic materials earlier than the Art Nouveau and modernist movements that embraced new materials historically.
Public Health: Synthetic pharmaceuticals and medical materials would have influenced public health and medical practice, potentially reducing mortality from certain conditions while introducing new health challenges associated with novel substances.

Long-term Impact

Alternative Industrial Revolution

The character of industrialization itself would have evolved differently:

Chemical-Centered Industry: Rather than being dominated by coal, iron, and steam, the Industrial Revolution might have developed a stronger chemical and materials focus from an earlier stage. The "Second Industrial Revolution" of chemicals, electricity, and precision engineering might have merged with the first phase of industrialization.
Different Energy Patterns: The chemical industry's need for specific types of energy and feedstocks might have influenced energy development, potentially accelerating interest in electricity and petroleum earlier than occurred historically.
Manufacturing Evolution: Production methods would have incorporated synthetic materials from an earlier stage, potentially leading to different approaches to mass production, standardization, and industrial design.
Alternative Industrial Geography: The locations of industrial development might have differed, with regions having advantages for chemical production (access to specific raw materials, water resources, or transportation networks) gaining importance alongside traditional industrial centers.

Medical and Public Health Transformation

Healthcare would have developed along different lines:

Earlier Pharmaceutical Industry: A systematic approach to drug development might have emerged decades earlier, potentially leading to earlier discovery of antibiotics, analgesics, anesthetics, and other crucial medications.
Medical Materials: Synthetic materials for medical applications—sutures, prosthetics, surgical tools, and diagnostic equipment—might have transformed medical practice earlier, potentially improving surgical outcomes and expanding treatment possibilities.
Public Health Measures: Synthetic materials for water purification, sanitation, and pest control might have provided new tools for public health interventions, potentially reducing mortality from waterborne diseases and vector-transmitted infections.
Different Disease Patterns: Earlier effective treatments for certain conditions might have altered disease patterns and mortality causes, potentially changing demographic trends and population growth patterns.

Environmental Consequences

The earlier introduction of synthetic materials would have created different environmental challenges:

Earlier Pollution Issues: Chemical manufacturing would have created pollution problems different from those of traditional industries, potentially leading to earlier recognition of chemical contamination issues and possibly earlier environmental regulation.
Resource Extraction Patterns: While reducing demand for some natural materials, synthetic production would have increased demand for chemical feedstocks and specific minerals, creating different patterns of resource extraction and associated environmental impacts.
Waste Challenges: Non-biodegradable synthetic materials would have entered waste streams earlier, potentially creating recognition of plastic pollution and disposal challenges decades before they became apparent historically.
Conservation Movements: The environmental impacts of chemical industries might have influenced the development of conservation and environmental movements, potentially creating different philosophical approaches to environmental protection.

Military and Geopolitical Implications

Warfare and international relations would have been affected:

Military Technology: Synthetic materials would have found military applications, from improved explosives and propellants to new materials for equipment, potentially changing the nature of warfare during the Napoleonic era and beyond.
Colonial Competition: Nations with advanced chemical industries might have gained advantages in colonial competition, both through direct military applications and through economic advantages in producing high-value synthetic goods.
Resource Geopolitics: The strategic importance of different resources would have shifted, with chemical feedstocks and specific minerals needed for synthetic production gaining importance relative to traditional industrial resources.
Naval Power: Synthetic materials for shipbuilding, maintenance, and operation might have influenced naval technology and strategy, potentially altering the balance of maritime power.

Cultural and Intellectual Evolution

The intellectual and cultural landscape would have developed differently:

Scientific Worldview: Earlier success in creating synthetic materials might have accelerated the replacement of vitalistic and essentialist views with mechanistic and materialist perspectives, potentially influencing philosophy, religion, and social thought.
Material Relationship: Human relationships with the material world might have been reconceptualized earlier, with the ability to create artificial substances challenging traditional distinctions between natural and artificial, potentially influencing environmental ethics and aesthetics.
Technological Optimism/Pessimism: The benefits and problems associated with synthetic materials might have shaped attitudes toward technology and progress, potentially creating earlier versions of both technological utopianism and critical perspectives on industrial modernity.
Educational Systems: The importance of chemical knowledge for industrial innovation might have influenced educational priorities, potentially leading to earlier development of technical education, research universities, and industrial laboratories.

Global Development Patterns

The global spread of industrialization might have followed different patterns:

Technology Transfer: Chemical knowledge and synthetic material production might have diffused internationally through different channels than mechanical technologies, potentially creating different patterns of global industrial development.
Colonial Economies: The reduced importance of certain natural materials might have altered colonial economic structures, potentially creating different development trajectories for regions historically focused on producing natural dyes, fibers, or other materials replaced by synthetics.
Industrialization Outside Europe: Non-European regions with chemical traditions or relevant resources might have developed synthetic industries through different pathways than historical industrialization, potentially creating more diverse centers of industrial innovation.
Global Trade Structure: The trade in synthetic materials and products would have created different global economic networks, potentially altering the development of the global economy and international economic institutions.

Expert Opinions

Dr. Eleanor Montgomery, historian of chemistry at Imperial College London, suggests:

"Had synthetic materials emerged in the 1770s-1790s rather than a century later, the entire character of the Industrial Revolution would have been transformed. The historical Industrial Revolution was fundamentally mechanical in nature—focused on replacing human and animal muscle power with machines. An earlier chemical revolution would have created a hybrid industrialization that manipulated materials at a molecular level while simultaneously mechanizing production. This might have led to a more knowledge-intensive form of industrial development from the beginning, with closer connections between scientific research and industrial application. The relationship between universities, scientific societies, and industry would have developed differently, perhaps resembling the German model of industrial research that emerged in the late 19th century, but a century earlier and in Britain or France. The social impacts would have been profound as well—creating different class structures, labor requirements, and patterns of urban development than the coal-and-iron based industrialization that actually occurred."

Professor Hiroshi Tanaka, specialist in the history of materials science, notes:

"The most fascinating aspect of this counterfactual is how it might have altered the material constraints of early industrialization. Many of the limitations of 18th and early 19th century technology stemmed from the properties of available materials—the strength of iron, the durability of natural fibers, the effectiveness of natural lubricants and sealants. Early synthetic materials would have offered solutions to some of these constraints, potentially allowing more rapid development of precision machinery, electrical equipment, and transportation technologies. For instance, electrical technology was significantly limited by available insulation materials until synthetic insulators were developed in the late 19th century. With earlier synthetic insulators, electrical technology might have advanced decades sooner. Similarly, early aviation was constrained by available materials for lightweight structures and engine components—constraints that synthetic materials might have addressed earlier. The entire technological trajectory of the 19th century might have been altered, with some innovations accelerated by decades and others taking entirely different forms."

Dr. Sophia Rodriguez, environmental historian, observes:

"The environmental implications of early synthetic materials would have been profound and complex. On one hand, synthetics reduced pressure on certain natural resources—whale populations might have faced less hunting pressure with synthetic alternatives to whale oil, forests might have seen reduced harvesting with alternatives to wood for certain applications, and agricultural land might have faced less pressure with synthetic alternatives to natural fibers and dyes. On the other hand, chemical manufacturing would have created new forms of pollution earlier, potentially leading to earlier recognition of industrial contamination issues. The fascinating question is whether this earlier introduction of synthetic materials might have created earlier environmental awareness and regulation, or whether the longer timeframe of synthetic material use might have led to more severe accumulated environmental impacts before regulatory responses emerged. We might have seen earlier versions of both industrial pollution crises and environmental movements, potentially creating different trajectories for environmental politics and policy."