The industrial revolution swept through Western Europe, Japan, and the United States in the 19th century, with these regions building railroads, factories, and huge cities. While the industrial revolution began in Great Britain, it came to America and transformed the economy within a generation, making the United States the world's leading industrial power by 1900 with manufacturing output exceeding several European nations combined. This was due in large part to America's abundance of natural resources and its economy becoming dominated by large corporations as big businesses came to control entire industries nationwide in the late 19th century.